Detroit-based energy company DTE Energy has completed construction of a 100-megawatt (MW) solar farm near Coldwater, Michigan, that will help Ford power its home-state factories with cleaner electricity.
Ford is funding the $194 million Cold Creek Solar Park through its enrollment in DTE’s voluntary renewable energy program, CleanVision MIGreenPower. Cold Creek generates enough power for the equivalent of roughly 23,000–25,000 households in Michigan.
Construction began in April 2025. Cold Creek is the first of several DTE projects being built to support Ford’s renewable electricity commitment in Michigan.
Ford agreed in 2022 to purchase up to 650 MW of renewable energy through MIGreenPower. The program lets households and businesses match their electricity use with renewable power generated in Michigan, while helping fund new wind and solar projects.
For Ford, the goal is to assemble every vehicle it makes in Michigan with the equivalent of 100% carbon-free electricity by the end of 2027, according to DTE’s latest announcement.
That deadline has moved: When Ford and DTE announced the agreement in August 2022, they set a 2025 target. The new announcement doesn’t explain the change.
The solar buildout also brings benefits beyond Ford’s factories. DTE says projects supported by MIGreenPower create local jobs and generate tax revenue for their host communities, but the utility hasn’t provided specifics.
When the broader Ford agreement was announced, DTE estimated that construction of the solar arrays would create 250 temporary jobs and 10 permanent positions. It said host communities could use the additional tax revenue for roads, schools, libraries, and first responders. Those estimates covered the wider buildout, rather than Cold Creek alone.
Ford’s Michigan electricity purchase is part of a wider effort to use 100% carbon-free electricity across its global manufacturing facilities by 2035 and reach carbon neutrality across its vehicles, manufacturing, and supply chain no later than 2050.
Read more: California gives the green light to balcony solar
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Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.
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