Government Clown Finally Admits Energy Storage Is A Thing That Exists In Time And Space

LG Energy Solution, a South Korean battery maker, has opened a new factory in Lansing, Michigan, expected to create up to 1,700 jobs. The plant will produce two kinds of battery cells: LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) cells for large-scale battery energy storage systems, or BESS, the kind of setup that stores solar or wind power for use when the sun isn't shining or wind isn't blowing, and NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) cells that will power Toyota's upcoming 2027 Highlander EV, built in Kentucky. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who a year earlier had publicly dismissed the idea of energy storage, praised the new plant as "foundational to America's energy future."

Separately, Samsung SDI is backing an expansion of battery maker Forge Nano's factory in North Carolina, which focuses on batteries for heavy trucks, military, and aerospace uses. That project includes a $100 million federal grant awarded in 2024, which survived an attempt to cancel it under the current administration after a court challenge.

None of this changes rebates or programs available to homeowners right now. But it points to more battery manufacturing capacity coming online in the U.S., which over time could affect the cost and availability of home battery systems paired with solar, as well as EV batteries. If you're considering solar-plus-storage or an EV purchase down the road, it's worth keeping an eye on how this domestic manufacturing buildout affects pricing and supply in the next year or two.