Canadian Solar to Build Nearly $712M Battery Manufacturing Plant in Kentucky

Canadian Solar will be building a nearly $712 million project to produce industrial-sized batteries for storing and distributing energy, a process seen as increasingly important to help secure the country’s electric grid. 

The Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing plant will be built in Kentucky and employ 1,572 workers once the project reaches full capacity. To date, battery manufacturers have announced projects totaling nearly $12 billion in investments and creating more than 10,280 full-time jobs in the state. 

The plant will be a part of Canadian Solar’s portfolio. It will produce batteries to be used by utilities and other customers to store energy at scale.  

According to Renewable Energy World, the batteries are about 20 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 9 feet tall. They can be paired with solar, wind, or other forms of electricity generation. 

The factory will be Shelby County’s largest economic development project ever and ranks as the third-largest jobs project announced during Governor Andy Beshear’s nearly five-year tenure. 

“With this investment, we’re putting our stamp on working to become just the battery capital of the United States,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement. 

Production at the Shelbyville battery plant is expected to begin in late 2025. 

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