Ford backs a big new solar farm for its Michigan factories

A big new solar farm near Coldwater, Michigan is now generating power to help run Ford's factories in the state. DTE Energy, the utility that serves much of Michigan, built the 100-megawatt Cold Creek Solar Park at a cost of $194 million. It produces enough electricity for roughly 23,000 to 25,000 households, though that power is going toward Ford's manufacturing rather than directly to homes.

Ford is paying for the project through DTE's CleanVision MIGreenPower program, a voluntary option that lets households and businesses in Michigan pay to match their electricity use with renewable power generated in-state. Ford signed on in 2022, committing to buy up to 650 megawatts of renewable energy through the program, with the goal of running all its Michigan vehicle assembly on the equivalent of 100% carbon-free electricity by the end of 2027. That target was originally set for 2025, and the delay was not explained.

This news is really about how a major automaker is cleaning up its own power supply, not about new incentives for homeowners. But it's a reminder that the same MIGreenPower program Ford uses is open to any Michigan household that wants to pay a bit extra to support in-state renewable projects. If you live in Michigan and are curious, it's worth looking at what DTE offers through that program for residential customers.