CENTRE COUNTY (WTAJ)– Centre County commissioners heard a proposal for a new lithium-ion battery plant on Tuesday, May 30.
That plant could be coming to the Philipsburg-Moshannon Valley Area soon.
EC Power and Flux Power are looking to bring the lithium-ion battery industry east from California. The two companies have applied for a $25,000,000 grant from the federal government which they would match to build the facility.
“So they currently produce batteries for lithium ion powered forklifts and ground support equipment for airlines and different applications like that,” A representative for the companies said. “And small buses, low speed buses, and other lower voltage applications.”
If approved the representative says it could bring between 100 and 150 jobs to Centre County. A specific location for the plant hasn’t been selected yet, but they hope to build it in the vicinity of the EC Power building in Moshannon Valley.
“This particular application is for revitalizing communities that have been impacted by the energy transition, primarily coal. So the entire Western side of Centre County is a coal-affected area.”
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If all goes as planned the construction of the plant could begin by next spring, taking three years to complete.