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General Motors Announces Plan to Operate Missouri Facility Using 100 Percent Renewable Energy

  • October 07, 2020

General Motors (GM) recently announced plans to transition its manufacturing plant in Wentzville, Missouri, to run on 100 percent renewable energy. The company says it plans for the Missouri plant to run entirely on solar power.

“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,” said GM Chief Sustainability Officer Dane Parker. “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.”

GM announced the transition following a new power purchase agreement for a 180-megawatt solar project. The solar energy will come from a new solar field originally developed by First Solar, Inc. and will use photovoltaic solar modules.

“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,” said Georges Antoun, First Solar Chief Commercial Officer. “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.”

In 2019, GM announced plans to invest $1 Billion in its Wentzville plant. Missouri talent at the plant makes every Chevrolet Colorado, along with the GMC Canyon midsize pickup and Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans.

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