General Motors has announced its largest renewable energy purchase agreement to date, a 15-year deal with NorthStar Clean Energy. This agreement will power three of GM’s assembly plants—Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly in Michigan, and Wentzville Assembly in Missouri—using renewable energy from NorthStar’s Newport Solar project in Newport, Arkansas.
The Newport Solar project, with a capacity of 180 megawatts, will add renewable energy directly to the grid that GM sources from, furthering the company’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2040. This deal is a significant step towards GM’s goal of powering all its U.S. sites with 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2025.
Additionally, the Newport site generates enough electricity to power 30,000 homes annually, contributing significantly to GM’s sustainability efforts. “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’s director of global energy strategy. He emphasized that this facility not only aligns with GM’s renewable electricity strategy but also demonstrates the company’s dedication to a sustainable future.
With this latest agreement, GM has now secured energy sourcing from 17 renewable energy plants across 11 states, making it the automotive industry’s largest buyer of renewable power by capacity.