Solar Farm to Help Ford Motor Get 100% Carbon-Free Electricity

A vehicle manufacturing production line uses a lot of electricity. The demand for sustainable electricity options to replace current energy production is rising.  One of Michigan’s biggest manufacturers will soon get power from a large solar farm in south-central Michigan.

DTE Energy finished construction on the 100-megawatt Cold Creek Solar Farm near the historic city of Coldwater. This huge solar farm will supply Ford Motor Company with 100% carbon-free electricity.

Powering Vehicles With a Solar Farm

Ford agreed to purchase up to 650 megawatts of renewable energy through DTE’s CleanVision MIGreenPower program. By the end of 2027, Ford aims for every Ford vehicle assembled in Michigan to run on the equivalent of 100% carbon-free electricity.

That means local manufacturing plants will soon rely entirely on clean power to build their cars and trucks.

“Cold Creek Solar Park is now delivering on the promise we made when we broke ground on this project — clean, reliable energy for our Michigan operations and for the communities where we build our vehicles,” said Amir Mirshahi, director of Energy Infrastructure & Engineering at Ford. “Projects like this strengthen the resiliency of the grid that our plants, our employees, and our neighbors all depend on. Investments like Cold Creek are about more than meeting our own sustainability goals — they’re about being a good neighbor and a strong partner to the communities that support us.”

Growing the Local Power Grid

Cold Creek is part of a much larger clean energy push across the state. DTE currently operates 20 wind parks and 36 solar parks in Michigan, generating enough electricity to power nearly 1 million homes.

The MIGreenPower program lets both households and large businesses match their everyday electricity use to local, Michigan-made renewable energy. Beyond supplying clean energy to the grid, projects like Cold Creek bring in tax revenue for host communities and create local jobs.

“Cold Creek Solar Park represents more than a new renewable energy project. It reflects what’s possible when customers and energy providers work together to accelerate Michigan’s clean energy future,” said Matt Paul, president and chief operating officer, DTE Electric. “Through MIGreenPower, we’re helping companies like Ford achieve their sustainability goals while building the renewable energy infrastructure that will power generations to come.”

The new solar park helps Michigan work toward its goal of 60% renewable energy by 2035, while pushing DTE closer to its own target of net-zero carbon emissions.