General Motors signs multi-year solar energy deal with solar farm

JACKSON COUNTY, Ark. (KAIT) – General Motors is making a multi-year commitment to Region 8.

The manufacturer announced a 15-year renewable power purchase agreement with NorthStar Clean Energy, the company that built the solar farm in Jackson County.

GM said the facility will help meet the electricity needs of GM’s Lansing Delta Township Assembly and Lansing Grand River Assembly communities in Michigan, as well as Wentzville Assembly Community in Missouri.

“This location fits perfectly into our broader portfolio as we work toward our 100 percent renewable energy goal,” said Rob Threlkeld, GM’s director of global energy strategy.

The company has set a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2040, but Threlkeld said each deal it reaches accelerates that goal.

“We’ve accelerated that goal a couple of times. Our global goal is now 2035, and in the U.S. it’s by the end of 2025,” he said. “That’s important to us for a number of reasons because we’re really underscoring our zero-emissions achievement as a manufacturer as we march toward zero emissions, zero crashes, zero traffic.”

Threlkeld spoke about the economic impact the site would have.

“We visited most of our facilities to understand the local impact on communities, schools and the people who actually benefit from the tax revenues that come from capital investments,” he said.

Threlkeld said he hoped the effects of the deal would last beyond 15 years.

“We think that’s really important when we think about students and future employees who might be in our company, or future engineers like me,” he said. “So it’s great to see the local impacts and what future generations might see with the benefits of renewable energy.”

The ribbon cutting will take place on Thursday, August 15th.

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