The solar power system will be built, owned and maintained by Constellation Energy, a supplier of power, natural gas and energy products.

GM will invest $269.5m in the new motor plant. The automaker views electric motor design and production as vital business for manufacture of plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles.

GM will buy electricity generated by the solar panels from Constellation Energy under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

The campus expected to generate nine percent of its annual energy consumption and save approximately $330,000 during the life of the project. GM uses renewable energy from the solar, hydro, and landfill gas resources at various plants.

GM’s Baltimore Operations has two distinctive features of being powered by renewable energy which doesn't generate any landfill waste.

In May 2011, GM has said to build a photovoltaic solar array at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in Southeast Michigan, which turns sunlight into electricity to help power the home of the Chevrolet Volt electric car. GM will build the array in association with DTE Energy.

Mike Robinson, vice president of energy, environment and safety policy at GM, said: “We believe the future of sustainable transportation is electrically driven vehicles and this facility will help us maintain a leadership position within this category. It’s fitting that green motors of the future are being built at a facility well recognized for ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental impact.”

Michael Smith, senior vice president of green initiatives for Constellation Energy’s retail business, said: “Solar as a power-generation source is an attractive option for GM and other large-scale manufacturers to achieve environmental goals and control electricity costs.”

Will the move commercially benefit GM?

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