Governor Hochul Announces Nearly $114 Million in Federal and State Funding to Create First-In-Class Battery-NY Center at Binghamton University

 Federal Build Back Better and State Funds Will Help Construct Battery Technology and Manufacturing Facility Supporting the Domestic Innovation and Commercialization of Next-Generation Battery Production

Strategic Investments Further Establish Southern Tier Region as National Hub for Growing Energy Storage Industry and Advance New Energy New York Initiative

Federal And NYS Investments Complement "Southern Tier Soaring" — The Region's Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Binghamton University will receive a combined investment of $113.7 million to support the creation of Battery-NY, a cutting-edge technology development, manufacturing, and commercialization energy storage hub. In addition to $50 million in state funding first announced by Governor Hochul in her 2022 State of the State address, Binghamton University was selected by the U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration to receive $63.7 million in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan's Build Back Better Regional Challenge, a national competition that is providing transformative investments to develop and strengthen regional industry clusters across the country, that also enhance economic equity, create good-paying jobs, and further the United States' global competitiveness. Binghamton University was one of 21 chosen out of more than 500 applications originally which were narrowed to sixty applicants in round two of the challenge. Yesterday, Governor Hochul announced Western New York was awarded $25 million to spark local innovation, strengthen inclusive workforce development programs, and develop needed infrastructure in region.    

"I congratulate Binghamton University on securing this critical funding through the the Biden administration's Build Back Better initiative," Governor Hochul said. "We remain laser-focused on strengthening New York's world-class education, with Binghamton University playing a key role in building the next generation of New York's clean energy industry. Combined with our multi-million-dollar state investment, this funding will help Binghamton University establish this state-of-the-art facility by advancing innovative research and bolstering New York's commitment to renewable energy -- creating a cleaner, more resilient future for all New Yorkers."   

The combined funding will enable Binghamton University to establish Battery-NY at the Huron campus. In her State of the State address in January, Governor Hochul prioritized the creation of a cutting-edge next generation research & development, testing and small-scale manufacturing facility that will focus on the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of the next generation of batteries. The investments support the broader New Energy New York (NENY) initiative, whose goal is to create a National Hub for Battery Innovation and Manufacturing. The state's investment will be funded through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative to further support the Southern Tier's growing battery manufacturing industry.   

Led by Distinguished Professor and 2019 Nobel Prize Winner M. Stanley Whittingham, and Binghamton Associate Vice President Per Stromhaug, Binghamton University's Battery-NY will research and develop next generation batteries and other clean energy technologies that have the potential to transform the transportation, military and energy sectors. The center will also help establish a robust manufacturing infrastructure within the Southern Tier capable of supporting multiple industries and their supply chains, leading the creation of thousands of good-paying advanced manufacturing jobs over the next decade.    

With the funding now secured for this advanced technology project, work is expected to get underway this fall, with the facility targeted to open sometime in the next two years. The total project cost as been placed at $122 million.  

In her 2022 State of the State address, Governor Hochul outlined New York's ambitious plan to grow the state's clean energy economy. In addition to creating Battery-NY, Governor Hochul committed to double New York's energy storage deployment goals from 3 Gigawatts to at least 6 Gigawatts by 2030, establish the state as a Green Hydrogen Hub, and to invest $1 billion to advance New York's Electric Vehicle industry.