Wixom Renewable Energy Park
"The Wixom Assembly Plant served Ford well for half a century and we wanted to ensure it served Michigan well into the future..." Ford has been working with the developers and state and local officials over the past nine months on a high-impact, environmentally responsible redevelopment plan for the 52-year-old auto plant that has produced such iconic vehicles as the Ford Thunderbird, Ford GT and Lincoln Continental. 
Ford Motor Company's idled Wixom Assembly Plant will be redeveloped into one of the nation's largest renewable energy manufacturing parks. Ford has reached an agreement in principle to sell Wixom Assembly Plant to Xtreme Power of Austin, Texas, and Clairvoyant Energy of Santa Barbara, Calif., which will manufacture energy storage systems and high-efficiency solar panels at the site. Clairvoyant Energy and Xtreme Power plan an initial investment of $725 million to redevelop the 320-acre site and its 4.7 million square feet of plant space. The renewable energy manufacturing park is expected to create more than 4,000 jobs on site and in the surrounding area, as well as support thousands of indirect jobs. 
Clairvoyant Energy and Xtreme Power plan an initial investment of more than $725 million to redevelop the 320-acre plant site and its 4.7 million square feet of building space to manufacture solar power and energy storage systems, respectively. The two companies will utilize approximately half of the square footage to manufacture their products, and will seek additional green-energy manufacturing and support companies to lease the remaining space. The redevelopment work at the Wixom site is expected to begin early next year with manufacturing at the site slated to begin in late 2011. The redevelopment plan is expected to create more than 4,000 direct jobs, including local suppliers, as well as support thousands of indirect jobs. Ford has been working with the developers and state and local officials over the past nine months on a high-impact, environmentally responsible redevelopment plan for the 52-year-old auto plant that has produced such iconic vehicles as the Ford Thunderbird, Ford GT and Lincoln Continental. "The Wixom Assembly Plant served Ford well for half a century and we wanted to ensure it served Michigan well into the future," said Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. "Thanks to the collaborative efforts of two visionary energy companies and the leadership of state and local officials, we are transforming our Wixom facility into one of the largest renewable energy parks in the United States. I can't imagine a better way to use this facility – for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren." |
