**$712 Million Battery Plant to Bring Over 1,500 Jobs to Shelbyville**

An ambitious battery manufacturing facility is set to be established in Shelbyville, marking the largest economic development initiative in Shelby County's history. Unveiled by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and other state and local officials at a Friday news conference, the project is spearheaded by Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing, a subsidiary of e-Storage.

With a projected investment of $712 million, the new facility is expected to create 1,572 high-tech jobs. The plant will be located in a 1-million-square-foot building on Logistics Drive and will focus on producing lithium-ion battery cells, along with module and packaging manufacturing. The plan aims to roll out a production capacity of 6 gigawatt hours of battery cells annually, with operations anticipated to commence by the end of 2025.

Gov. Beshear highlighted the significance of this development for Kentucky's economy, stating, "This project will solidify our role as a leader in the country's energy storage sector and will transform our economy, creating opportunities for Kentucky families for generations."

The Shelbyville investment comes at a pivotal moment, dovetailing with other significant projects like the two BlueOval SK battery plants led by Ford Motor Company in Hardin County. This positions Kentucky as a key player in the expanding U.S. battery production industry.

Colin Parkin, president of e-Storage, expressed enthusiasm for the project, saying, "We are proud to be a part of the growing energy technology transformation across the U.S., and we are thrilled to announce our investment in a new, state-of-the-art industrial battery cell, module and packaging plant in Shelbyville, Kentucky, that will employ over 1,500 Kentuckians."

According to Gov. Beshear's office, e-Storage is based in Ontario, Canada, and operates under Canadian Solar, a global leader in the design, manufacture, and integration of battery energy storage systems for utility-scale applications.