DTE Completes 100-Megawatt Cold Creek Solar Park
The Branch County site feeds clean power into Michigan's grid as part of Ford's solar purchase agreement with DTE Energy.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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DTE Energy has completed the 100-megawatt Cold Creek Solar Park about five miles northeast of Coldwater in Branch County, Michigan, which began producing electricity and reached full operation in October 2026. The site is one of the first large projects completed under Ford's agreement to buy 650 megawatts of solar capacity through DTE's MIGreenPower program.
Why it matters
Ford is working to match its Michigan vehicle assembly plants with carbon-free electricity by the end of 2027, and the completed site supports that goal. The project also expands the state's solar generation as Michigan pursues its renewable power targets.
Cold Creek provides 100 megawatts of capacity within Ford's 650-megawatt solar purchase commitment, which the company says could increase statewide solar capacity by almost 70%. If the full agreement is delivered, it could eliminate up to 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, though completion of the remaining sites has not been detailed.
The players
DTE Energy
DTE Energy is a Michigan-based utility that built and financed the Cold Creek array through its CleanVision MIGreenPower initiative.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a Detroit-based automaker that agreed to buy 650 megawatts of solar capacity to power its Michigan assembly plants with carbon-free electricity.
The details
DTE Energy built and financed the photovoltaic panel array through its CleanVision MIGreenPower initiative, and the clean power is fed into Michigan's existing electric distribution system. Ford designed the agreement to tie directly to a manufacturing goal rather than simply buying a block of green energy.
Timeline
Four years ago: Ford agreed to purchase 650 megawatts of solar capacity through MIGreenPower.
October 2026: Cold Creek Solar Park began production and reached full operation.
End of 2027: Ford expects its Michigan assembly plants to be matched with carbon-free electricity.
Roadmap
The Cold Creek project advances Michigan's statutory goal of deriving 60% of its power from renewable sources by 2035, with the 650-megawatt Ford agreement adding capacity at a scale that would raise statewide solar output by almost 70%. The arrangement reflects a broader pattern of automakers pairing plant electrification with direct clean-power contracts in their home states.
For Michigan residents, the project adds solar generation to the existing grid without requiring any change to how they buy electricity. For EV owners in the state, the agreement is tied to the charging and manufacturing supply chain behind the vehicles they drive.
The takeaway
Large corporate power purchase agreements can add meaningful renewable capacity to a state grid while tying clean electricity directly to specific manufacturing goals. Watching whether the remaining sites under Ford's 650-megawatt agreement come online will show how fully that commitment is delivered.
Further reading
Explore more Electric Vehicles coverage tied to Michigan's grid and automaker power commitments.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ecoportal.
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