In a deal with DTE Energy, Stellantis says it will significantly increase the amount of clean energy it purchases in Michigan.
In a joint news release with DTE on Monday, the automaker, which owns the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge, and Fiat brands, pledged to add 400 megawatts of new solar projects in Michigan. This, according to the release, would be enough to power 130,000 homes and help the company avoid emitting more than 670,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Following Ford and DTE’s announcement in August for 650 megawatts of new solar energy in Michigan, the businesses referred to it as the “second-largest renewable energy purchase ever made in the U.S. from a utility.”
“While this day and this historic agreement are about clean and efficient power, I’d like to suggest that today is also about the power of partnerships in this new era of sustainable mobility,” Mark Stewart, chief operating officer for Stellantis North America, said in the release. “Our success — indeed our survival — will depend more and more on how completely we embrace the values of collaboration and partnership as strategic imperatives that help us achieve breakthrough business outcomes.”
According to the press release, “investments like this accelerate our state’s transition to clean energy, create jobs and strengthen our state’s economy. Adding 400 megawatts of new solar for Stellantis will result in a cleaner environment for Michigan families, communities and businesses, and create hundreds of jobs during project construction.”
Through participation in DTE’s MIGreenPower program, the Stellantis deal’s financial details were not disclosed. By 2026, according to the companies, Stellantis would be able to use solar power for 100% of its electricity needs at 70 facilities in southeast Michigan. This would reduce Stellantis’ carbon emissions in North America by 50% and across all of its manufacturing facilities by 30%.
Cindy Hecht, a spokesperson for DTE, stated that the new solar projects would be located in Michigan, with construction anticipated to begin in 2024. However, the precise location has not yet been established pending approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission.
Hecht stated that approximately 75,000 residential and 800 business customers are enrolled in MIGreenPower, calling it more cost-effective for customers due to its scale than rooftop solar panel installation. Although the solar projects are not directly connected to the Stellantis sites, “we say the usage is being ‘attributed to solar energy,'” Hecht stated. However, the generated electricity is fed into the power grid.
