Ford’s Factories Go Solar: DTE Energy Completes 100 MW Cold Creek Solar Park in Michigan

DTE Energy has completed construction of the 100-megawatt Cold Creek Solar Park near Coldwater, Michigan — a $194 million project funded through Ford Motor Company’s enrollment in the utility’s CleanVision MIGreenPower program — moving Ford a step closer to its goal of assembling every vehicle it builds in Michigan with the equivalent of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by the end of 2027.

The completion of Cold Creek Solar Park was announced by DTE Energy on 1 October 2026. The park is the first of several DTE projects being built to support Ford’s renewable electricity commitment in Michigan, and it is expected to generate enough power for the equivalent of roughly 23,000 to 25,000 Michigan households.

A $194 million Cold Creek Solar Park for Michigan’s factories

Construction of the Cold Creek Solar Park began in April 2025. Ford is funding the project through its participation in DTE’s voluntary renewable energy program, CleanVision MIGreenPower, which lets homes and businesses attribute their electricity use to renewable power generated in Michigan.

“Cold Creek Solar Park represents more than a new renewable energy project. It reflects what’s possible when customers and energy providers work together to accelerate Michigan’s clean energy future,” said Matt Paul, president and chief operating officer of DTE Electric. “Through MIGreenPower, we’re helping companies like Ford achieve their sustainability goals while building the renewable energy infrastructure that will power generations to come.”

How MIGreenPower works

Ford agreed in 2022 to purchase up to 650 megawatts of renewable energy through MIGreenPower. DTE describes the program as one of the largest voluntary renewable energy programs in the country, saying it speeds up the development of in-state renewable projects, adds clean energy to the grid, produces tax revenue for host communities and creates local jobs.

When the broader Ford agreement was announced in 2022, DTE estimated that construction of the solar arrays would create 250 temporary jobs and 10 permanent positions, with host communities able to use the additional tax revenue for roads, schools, libraries and first responders. Those estimates covered the wider buildout, rather than Cold Creek alone.

The deadline has moved: from 2025 to 2027

Ford’s target has shifted over time. When Ford and DTE announced their agreement in August 2022, they set 2025 as the target year for 100 percent carbon-free electricity at Michigan plants. The new announcement puts that goal at the end of 2027 — and it does not explain the change.

“Cold Creek Solar Park is now delivering on the promise we made when we broke ground on this project: clean, reliable energy for our Michigan operations and for the communities where we build our vehicles,” said Amir Mirshahi, director of Energy Infrastructure and Engineering at Ford. “Projects like this strengthen the resiliency of the grid that our plants, our employees and our neighbors all depend on.”

Key facts

• Project: Cold Creek Solar Park, near Coldwater, Michigan — 100 MW, completed 1 October 2026.
• Cost and funding: $194 million, funded through Ford’s enrollment in DTE’s CleanVision MIGreenPower program.
• Output: enough power for the equivalent of roughly 23,000–25,000 Michigan households.
• Ford’s commitment: up to 650 MW of renewable energy agreed in 2022; every Michigan-built vehicle to be assembled with the equivalent of 100% carbon-free electricity by the end of 2027.
• DTE’s footprint: 20 wind parks and 36 solar projects across Michigan, together generating enough clean energy to power nearly 1 million homes.

Why it matters

The project shows how corporate clean-energy commitments can directly fund new renewable capacity: instead of buying certificates from existing plants, Ford’s demand helped finance a brand-new solar park. It is also a test of whether industrial giants can keep pace with their own climate deadlines — Ford’s original 2025 target has already slipped to 2027. For more on the global shift to clean power, see Watan News’ renewable energy coverage.