Maine Opens New England's Largest Battery Storage Facility

Maine just flipped the switch on a game-changing energy project that could help lower your electricity bills while keeping the lights on during winter storms.

The Cross Town Energy Storage facility in Gorham is now New England's largest standalone battery system, boasting 175 megawatts of capacity. That single facility pushes Maine to 240 megawatts of total storage, putting the state more than halfway toward its 400-megawatt goal for 2030.

Governor Janet Mills celebrated the roughly 5-acre facility as a cornerstone of Maine's plan to reach 100% clean energy by 2040. The batteries charge up when electricity is cheap and abundant from solar and wind, then release that power during peak demand times when it's hot in summer or freezing in winter.

For Mainers who've watched electricity costs climb faster than inflation, this facility offers real relief. The system can dispatch enough electricity over two hours to power more than 19,000 homes for an entire year, assuming daily cycling.

Christina Hoffman from Plus Power, the Texas-based company behind the project, explained that the batteries act like a shock absorber for the entire New England grid. When winter storm Fern hit, the facility was 100% available and ready to prevent brownouts and blackouts.

Dan Burgess, acting commissioner of Maine's Department of Energy Resources, pointed out that electricity is unique among major commodities because it has no storage built into its supply chain. Instead, power gets produced just in time for when we need it, causing rapid price spikes when demand surges.

The new battery system smooths those peaks by storing cheaper electricity and releasing it during expensive high-demand periods. Since Maine's electricity prices are largely tied to natural gas costs, which fuel about half of New England's power generation, this storage capacity helps buffer ratepayers from volatile fossil fuel prices.

Why This Inspires

This facility represents something rare in energy infrastructure: a solution that helps both the planet and your wallet at the same time. While Maine's electricity demand is expected to more than double by 2050, projects like Cross Town are building the foundation to meet that growth without burning more fossil fuels.

The timing matters too. The facility came online in late November and has already proven its worth through Maine's brutal winter months, quietly preventing the blackouts and price spikes that might have otherwise hit.

Plus Power CEO Naveen Abraham couldn't estimate exact household savings, but the math is simple: every electron from these batteries is one less electron that needs to come from expensive fossil fuels trucked in from somewhere else. With six other battery sites already connected to Maine's grid, the state is proving that clean energy storage isn't just theoretical anymore.

Burgess told the ribbon-cutting crowd that this isn't the finish line but the beginning of Maine's energy storage journey. His department is already drafting a request for proposals for another battery site, with details expected within the month.

One facility just saved 19,000 homes from the worst of fossil fuel price swings while keeping Maine's lights on through winter storms.