Automotive manufacturer Stellantis entered into the second-largest power purchase agreement (PPA) ever recorded to acquire 400 MW of new solar development in Michigan through the MIGreenPower program of diversified energy company DTE Energy.
By 2026, the maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Jeep vehicles will attribute 100% of its electricity at 70 of its office and manufacturing facilities in Michigan from solar. This will cut the company's emissions in North America by 50% and in all of its manufacturing facilities by 30%.
BloombergNEF's clean energy commitment is the second largest corporate PPA on record, and the agreement with DTE Energy represents enough clean energy to power 130,000 homes per year. The 400 MW agreement follows a 650 MW solar agreement signed in August by rival automaker Ford with DTE Energy to provide clean power to its respective Michigan operations.
"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,” said Mark Stewart, chief operating officer of Stellantis North America.
DTE Energy's MIGreenPower program has attracted over 800 businesses and over 75,000 residential customers to date. MIGreenPower customers have contributed 4 million megawatt hours of clean energy to the program on an annual basis. Those interested joining the utility program can acquire more information here.
Stellantis agreed to an ESG plan for 2021 that included self-production and on-site renewable energy generation across its global manufacturing operations. In 2021, the company used 16,058 GWh of energy, with renewable energy accounting for 7.5% of that total.
In Europe, the company has signed PPA agreements for 12,000 MWh of solar power in Zaragoza, Spain, and 4,000 MWh of solar power at the Mangualde manufacturing plant in Portugal. Its Zaragoza plant is Spain's largest self-generating renewable energy project, with 19,200 PV modules installed and a total power capacity of 8.64 MW.
Stellantis used wind and solar energy to power its Ranjangaon, India facility, generating approximately 8.5 GWh per year.
