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General Motors Makes Michigan-Based Wind Energy Purchase with DTE Energy

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) has made its largest renewable energy procurement in the state of Michigan, purchasing enough wind power to equal 100 percent of the electricity needs of its global technical center in Warren and a substantial portion of its Detroit-based world headquarters at the Renaissance Center.

By General Motors | Published 5 years ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Pexels

As part of its commitment to increasing its renewable energy footprint globally and finding clean energy solutions near its operations, General Motors Co. has partnered with DTE Energy for 300,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of wind energy in the state of Michigan. Once complete, the energy sourced will be enough to power 100 percent of the electricity needs of GM’s global technical center in Warren and its Detroit-based operations at the Renaissance Center. The 300,000 megawatt hours (MWh) are equivalent to the amount of power consumed by nearly 30,000 U.S. households per year. To date, GM has contracted or invested in a total of 1.71 terawatt hours of clean energy power in North America, equivalent to more than 145,000 households and more than any other automaker in the region.

GM will source the wind power through an agreement with DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower, a renewable energy program that enables DTE customers to attribute up to 100 percent of their energy use to DTE clean energy projects in Michigan. In January 2019, DTE received approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission to offer a MIGreenPower program designed for major Michigan corporations and industrial companies who want access to more renewable energy to meet corporate sustainability goals.

"Investing in renewable energy remains an important part of GM's vision for a zero emissions future," said Rob Threlkeld, global manager of Sustainable Energy and Supply Reliability for General Motors. "Our partnership with DTE Energy will help us get closer to achieving our goal of powering all our operations in Michigan with 100 percent clean energy. It helps demonstrate that local and regional industry partnerships are paramount to GM’s clean energy future, where renewable sources will account for 100 percent of our global energy footprint by 2050.”

DTE plans to build or acquire additional clean energy projects and expand MIGreenPower to meet increasing customer demand. It will begin sourcing to GM once the first new projects are on line. As the state’s largest producer of renewable energy, DTE will more than double its renewable energy generation capacity, investing an additional $2 billion in wind and solar by 2024. As part of its commitment to reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 percent by 2050, DTE is significantly increasing the amount of clean energy in its generation portfolio.

“Knowing that access to more renewable energy is important to our largest corporate and industrial customers, DTE will continue to expand MIGreenPower to help customers meet their sustainability targets,” said Trevor F. Lauer, president and COO of DTE Electric. “We appreciate GM’s environmental leadership and are excited that we can partner with them through MIGreenPower to deliver on their clean energy goals.”

The MIGreenPower agreement comes on the heels of GM reaching 20 percent of its global energy supply from renewables. GM is a member of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) and an early signatory of RE100, a collaborative global initiative uniting influential businesses committed to 100 percent renewable electricity, working to increase demand for and delivery of renewable energy.

“Our 100 percent renewable energy commitment, along with our pursuit of electrified vehicles and responsible manufacturing, is part of GM’s approach to strengthening its business, improving communities and addressing climate change,” said Threlkeld.

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE portfolio includes energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, renewable natural gas, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As an environmental leader, DTE will reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions by more than 80 percent by 2050 to produce cleaner energy while keeping it safe, reliable and affordable. DTE is committed to being a force for good in the communities where it serves through volunteerism, education and employment initiatives, philanthropy and economic progress. Information about DTE is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is committed to delivering safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Cadillac, Chevrolet, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services; Maven, its personal mobility brand; and Cruise, its autonomous vehicle ride-sharing company, can be found at http://www.gm.com.