### New Battery Manufacturing Plant to Bring 1,600 Jobs to Shelbyville

Governor Andy Beshear announced a significant development for Shelbyville on Friday: the construction of a new battery manufacturing plant by a Canadian Solar subsidiary, expected to create nearly 1,600 jobs. The facility, known as Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing, will cost around $712 million to build.

"This project isn't just big, it's historic," Beshear emphasized during his announcement in Frankfort. He highlighted that this advanced industrial battery production facility will not only be the largest employer in Shelby County but also the most substantial economic project in the county's history. The plant is set to create 1,572 jobs, making it the third-largest jobs announcement during Beshear's tenure as governor of Kentucky.

Beshear's previous major announcements include the $2 billion Envision AESC gigafactory in Bowling Green, intended to generate around 2,000 jobs, and the $5.8 billion Ford Motor Co. and SK On electric battery plants in Hardin County, projected to bring in 5,000 jobs. These projects underscore Kentucky’s growing role in the electric vehicle and battery manufacturing sectors.

Construction on the 1-million-square-foot Shelbyville facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The plant will produce lithium-ion cell batteries, and its initial production capacity will be three-gigawatt hours annually, with projected expansion to six gigawatt hours. Colin Parkin, president of e-Storage, the Canadian-based company leading the project, explained that the facility will create self-contained energy storage systems housed in modular, containerized units.

Dr. Shawn Qu, founder and CEO of Canadian Solar, underscored the importance of energy storage in the evolving electricity grid. He stated, "Battery cells are the heart of an energy utility storage system. This project will put Kentucky at the center of the effort to build a robust and secure electricity grid for this country."

Shelbyville Mayor H. Troy Ethington expressed his enthusiasm, noting that Shelbyville is becoming a hub for innovation by supporting industries focused on sustainability and technological advancement. Beshear concluded by reiterating Kentucky's leadership in electric vehicle battery production and expressed confidence that the state will now also lead in the industrial electrification space.