A renewable energy company has proposed a $712 million battery plant in Shelbyville, according to state incentive reports, with plans to produce utility-scale energy storage tech to support the renewable energy transition.
Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing, the company behind the project, would aim to create nearly 1,600 jobs with average hourly wages of about $25 including benefits at the proposed plant, according to negotiated, preliminary state incentives.
The project received preliminary approval for $35 million in incentives under the Kentucky Business Investment program and $5 million through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act , according to a state database.
Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing is a subsidiary of global renewable energy company Canadian Solar. Company representatives declined to share additional details.
The company was formerly listed in state filings as Canadian Solar U.S. Battery Manufacturing, but filed to change its name in Kentucky last month. Canadian Solar recently announced an $800 million, 1,200-job project across the river in Jeffersonville, where the company plans to build solar cells.
In Shelbyville, the company's proposed plant would make lithium-ion battery cells, battery packs and modules "to create utility-scale energy storage containers."
This battery storage technology, allowing utilities to store generated energy for later use, is a key ingredient in efforts to decarbonize the grid.
Peak energy generation from renewables like solar and wind rarely aligns with peak energy demand from customers. To meet demand when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing, utilities can implement battery storage, allowing power generated from intermittent renewable sources to be dispatched to customers as needed.
If built, the battery plant would join numerous other projects around the state related to renewable energy and electric vehicles , totaling billions of dollars in recent years.
"We continue to work with the company to bring nearly $712 million in new investment and 1,572 full-time jobs to Shelby County," said Gov. Andy Beshear in a statement, noting the preliminary status of the plant's incentives.
"This project would build on our growing economic success and help us continue to transform economic development in the region and across the state."
"We're extremely excited," said Ray Leathers, executive director of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, about the prospect of the battery plant. "This is a home run for us."
Shelbyville, about 30 minutes east of Louisville, was also recently under consideration for a $400 million plant from Ford Motor Co. to produce components mainly for electric vehicles, The Courier Journal previously reported .
Contact environmental reporter Connor Giffin at cgiffin@gannett.com or on X @byconnorgiffin . Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X at @oliviamevans_ .
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Renewable energy company proposing $700 million battery plant in Shelbyville
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