Michigan will be left out of F-150 Lightning boom unless lawmakers eliminate cap on rooftop solar

LANSING – The Michigan League of Conservation Voters issued the following statement today after the announcement by Ford Motor Co. that it will partner with Sunrun to use solar energy to power its new zero-emission Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck.

“Ford and President Biden have given us a vision of a future where Michiganders buy the Lightning F-150 and install solar on their home to power it, but that won’t be a reality if Michigan remains the only state in the country with an unnecessary, job-killing cap on rooftop solar,” said Bob Allison, deputy director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Michigan also won’t get the thousands of jobs that go along with this Lightning F-150 boom — nor the benefit to our recovering economy. Representative Joe Bellino, chair of the House Energy Committee, has stated publicly he supports raising the cap, yet now he is standing in the way — despite broad bi-partisan support.  As the home of the auto industry, we must pass this legislation so we don’t miss out on the jobs and benefits of the clean car boom.”

Sunrun and Ford announced this week that the solar company will be the preferred installer of the so-called Ford Intelligent Backup Power, which allows the Lightning truck to serve as a back-up home generator during a power outage. The truck’s battery also can be used to power homes during high-cost, peak-energy hours while taking advantage of low-cost overnight rates to charge the vehicle for the morning drive — saving money for owners on electricity. Sunrun also will offer rooftop solar installation to Lightning F-150 customers when they purchase the truck.