GM Backs 2 Michigan Solar Farms Totaling 300 MW, Its Largest Clean-Energy Project

General Motors said on November 12, 2026, that it is the primary customer of two new Michigan solar farms developed by NorthStar Clean Energy, with a combined capacity of 300 megawatts. GM calls the deal its largest clean-energy project to date and says the output roughly matches the power use of three of its Michigan plants.

Key points

• The two projects, Branch Solar in Branch County and Lake Iris Solar in St. Clair County, total 300 MW, and GM says 92% of that capacity is allocated to it.
• GM expects the farms to produce about 539,000 MWh a year, which it says equals the use of about 52,000 homes.
• That output roughly equals the combined annual electricity use of Factory ZERO, Flint Assembly and Lansing Delta Township Assembly, according to GM.
• GM puts the combined investment at about $550 million: about $380 million for Branch and $170 million for Lake Iris.
• GM says the two projects created more than 550 full-time local construction jobs during development.

How the GM solar deal works

GM is the primary customer of both farms through a virtual power purchase agreement with their developer, NorthStar Clean Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Energy. GM says it will apply the renewable energy credits from the projects to the emissions from the electricity it buys for manufacturing.

Branch Solar is the larger of the two farms. NorthStar describes it as a 200 MWac project and its largest solar asset to date. In a NorthStar announcement dated March 3, 2026, the developer said it had closed a tax equity financing and tax credit sale for the farm. GM’s announcement does not say when each farm started or will start delivering power, and it does not give the length of the contract.

Source: General Motors, November 12, 2026.

What GM says it gains

GM chief sustainability officer Cassandra Garber, who wrote the announcement, summed up the company’s case: “Sustainable business is smart business.” The company says long-term renewable supply gives it more predictable prices and less exposure to swings in fuel markets.

The company also lists local benefits. According to GM, the Branch project helped Bethel Township win a $1 million Renewables Ready Communities Award, which is paying for a township hall expansion and road work. GM also says Lake Iris plans to add pollinator habitat across the site, an effort the automaker is supporting.

Why it matters

GM said in April 2026 that in 2025 it secured enough renewable energy to match 100% of the electricity used at its U.S. facilities, and it calls itself the first U.S. automaker to reach that goal. In that mix, virtual power purchase agreements made up 37% and unbundled renewable energy credits 14%; GM said it expects the share of unbundled credits to fall as long-term projects come online. The Michigan farms are that kind of long-term project, and GM says it prioritizes projects on the same regional grid as its facilities. GM reports that its scope 1 and 2 operational emissions have fallen 52% since 2018.

For scale, Michigan’s power plants generated about 124.2 million MWh in 2024, and natural gas was the state’s primary energy source, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The 539,000 MWh GM expects from the two farms would equal about 0.4% of that total.

GM is not the only automaker backing new solar capacity in Michigan. In October 2026, Electrek reported that DTE Energy had completed the 100 MW Cold Creek Solar Park near Coldwater, which Ford funds through DTE’s MIGreenPower program as part of a 2022 deal to buy up to 650 MW of renewable energy. For a broader look at the trade-offs of these power sources, see our guide to the disadvantages of renewable energy.

Sources

• GM announces largest clean-energy project to date with two Michigan solar generation facilities — General Motors, November 12, 2026
• GM becomes first U.S. automaker to reach 100% renewable energy goal — General Motors, April 21, 2026
• Marathon Capital advises NorthStar Clean Energy on financing for Branch and Genesee Solar projects — NorthStar Clean Energy, March 3, 2026
• $334 million in construction financing secured for two major Michigan solar projects — NorthStar Clean Energy, March 17, 2025
• Michigan Electricity Profile 2024 — U.S. Energy Information Administration
• Ford backs a big new solar farm for its Michigan factories — Electrek, October 2, 2026