As part of its commitment to increasing its renewable energy footprint globally and finding clean energy solutions near its operations, General Motors has partnered with DTE Energy for 300,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of wind energy in the state of Michigan.

(Last week, Ford announced that it will procure 500,000 MWh of wind power from DTE. Earlier post.)

Once complete, the energy sourced will be enough to power 100% 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 US 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% 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.

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% by 2050, DTE is significantly increasing the amount of clean energy in its generation portfolio.

The MIGreenPower agreement comes on the heels of GM reaching 20% 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% renewable electricity, working to increase demand for and delivery of renewable energy.