General Motors has announced a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a 180-megawatt (MW) solar project set to be constructed by First Solar in Arkansas. Once the installation is completed in 2023, the capacity will lift General Motors to more than 60 per cent renewable energy usage. The project will supply three GM sites in the Midwest – Wentzville Assembly in Missouri and Lansing Delta Township Assembly in Michigan will be fully powered by solar energy, and the remaining power will be allocated to Lansing Grand River Assembly.
The deal marks a milestone for GM – surpassing one GW in renewable energy use, which equates to about 110 million LEDs. GM is currently the 11th largest off-taker of renewable power in the U.S. and the largest off-taker in the manufacturing sector.
“GM’s investment supports the use of solar technology, innovated and developed by First Solar in the United States, to power factories that form the core of the Midwest’s industrial resurgence,” says Georges Antoun, chief commercial officer for First Solar. “As America’s solar company, we’re proud to support GM’s manufacturing footprint in the Midwest with sustainable solar electricity, especially as it builds on over a century of automotive excellence and innovates toward a zero-emissions future.”
Among the world’s nine largest solar manufacturers, First Solar is the only US-headquartered company. It has invested more than $1 billion in expanding its Ohio factories, has about 2,500 employees across the U.S., including more than 1,600 at its U.S. manufacturing facilities, and is working with more than 240 suppliers in Ohio. First Solar’s proprietary thin film solar modules were developed at its research and development centers in California and Ohio and are manufactured using a process that requires less energy, water, and semiconductor material.
“As GM continues its transition to an all-electric, zero-emissions future, it is imperative that we also invest in a cleaner grid that can support everything – from our factories to our vehicles,” says Dane Parker, chief sustainability officer for GM. “Investments like these have increased access to renewable power, and with this deal we are exploring the next frontier of renewable energy, which integrate the principles of circularity and energy storage, among others.”
Earlier this year, GM announced two other renewable projects totaling 600 MW of solar energy, which are expected to be operational by 2023. As GM works to meet its 100 per cent renewable energy goal in the US, it plans to continue to help reduce emissions near communities where GM operates.
