A $147 million grant announced Tuesday aims to help revitalize the Lincoln region that has struggled since the pulp mill closed in 2015.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Energy would turn the shuttered mill into the world’s largest long-term energy storage facility — basically a battery used to store electricity produced by clean energy.
The multi-day energy storage facility is the first of its kind in New England and was announced by Gov. Janet Mills, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, U.S. Sen. Angus King and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree. The funding is part of $389 million from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The 387-acre property has sat empty since the mill closed. Around 200 people lost their jobs in 2013 during a round of layoffs, with another 20 to 25 people being laid off when the mill officially shuttered in 2015.
“This investment will play an important role in revitalizing Lincoln, including the site of the former paper mill, providing new opportunities for rural Maine,” Mills said.
New jobs will be created by the project, Lincoln Town Manager Richard Bronson said. Storing energy will also strengthen Maine’s electrical grid resiliency.
Strengthening the electrical grid and finding a way to use more renewable energy is important, King said.
“But this is not just an enormous step forward for renewables and strengthening our energy infrastructure, it’s also a story of renewal for the Lincoln area,” King said. “This storage system, which will be built on the former site of the Lincoln Pulp and Tissue Mill, will provide well-paying jobs and workforce development for the hardworking men and women of Lincoln and its neighboring communities.”
Form Energy, a start-up, will build the 8,500-megawatt-hour facility to house a battery that uses iron-air technology, allowing energy to be discharged for 100 hours continuously.
The company will work with local community leaders and the Penobscot Nation to make sure the project creates local jobs while addressing community needs, Form Energy CEO Mateo Jaramillo said.
The facility will provide access to clean energy while lowering consumer costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a news release. As more extreme weather happens because of climate change, this battery will help ensure Maine’s electricity grid continues to provide power, said Maria Robinson, director of the Grid Deployment Office, a unit of the U.S. Department of Energy.
“This award is a testament to Maine’s leadership in sustainable innovation, and will pave the way for stable energy costs, job creation, and a robust response to climate change,” Pingree said.
