As part of an ongoing push around renewable energy, General Motors announced a 15-year renewable energy purchase agreement with NorthStar Clean Energy for three GM assembly plants.
NorthStar’s Newport Solar project in Newport, Ark., will support the electricity needs of GM’s Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly in Michigan, and the Wentzville Assembly site in Missouri by adding renewable energy directly to the grid GM sources from. The Newport project has a capacity of 180 megawatts. NorthStar Clean Energy is a unit of CMS Energy.
This is the company’s largest power purchase deal yet and an “important milestone” in its goal to be carbon neutral by 2040, according to a release posted to GM’s website. In 2022, GM announced it had finalized the energy sourcing agreements required to secure 100% of the energy needed to power all its U.S. sites with renewable electricity by the end of 2025.
The Newport site generates enough electricity to power 30,000 homes per year.
“By expanding our renewable electricity portfolio, we are taking a major step forward in reducing our carbon footprint and advancing our broader sustainability goals,” said Rob Threlkeld, GM director of global energy strategy. “This facility not only supports our renewable electricity strategy, but also demonstrates our dedication to a sustainable future for all.”
GM now has in place sourcing agreements from 17 renewable energy plants across 11 states, making GM the automotive industry’s largest buyer of renewable power by capacity.
