The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains has selected Mainspring Energy, manufacturer of innovative, fuel-flexible, power generators, for an award of $87 million under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Advanced Energy Manufacturing & Recycling Grants Program. This selection will support the expansion of Mainspring's U.S. clean-tech manufacturing in Allegheny County, PA. The state-of-the-art facility will produce the company's innovative, low-emissions Linear Generators with a capacity of up to 1,000 Linear Generators annually - the power equivalent to meet the electricity needs of up to a quarter of a million U.S. homes.
The new, nearly 300,000 sq ft facility will be built adjacent to the Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay Township. The construction of the building is expected to create nearly 300 jobs, and once operating the facility will employ more than 600 women and men. Mainspring will recruit and train this new workforce in the manufacturing and production of Linear Generators.
"Mainspring is honored to be selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for this critical manufacturing grant, which will provide domestic supply chain resilience for clean power infrastructure," said Mainspring CEO and Founder Shannon Miller. "By ramping up production of linear generators in Pennsylvania, Mainspring can contribute a key role in the nation's energy transition with a proven and versatile technology for dispatchable power. Once completed, this facility will employ hundreds of Pennsylvanians and help to accelerate Mainspring's growth as a leader in American clean energy innovation."
The total investment in Southwestern PA, including building and equipment, will exceed $175 million. The facility, located near Pittsburgh in a coal-affected region, will employ people in metalwork, machining, and production. Mainspring expects to break ground in 2025.
"The transition to America's clean energy future is being shaped by communities filled with the valuable talent and experience that comes from powering our country for decades," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. "By leveraging the know-how and skillset of the former coal workforce, we are strengthening our national security while helping advance forward-facing technologies and revitalize communities across the nation."
Linear generators represent an advanced new category of power generation. They use a flameless reaction with near-zero NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions using any gaseous fuel. The product can switch from one fuel to another seamlessly without hardware changes. Designed to support utilities, data centers, microgrids, commercial and industrial use, and more, Mainspring Linear Generators are a critical component of the broader effort to transition to a carbon-pollution-free electricity sector by 2035.
As part of its community benefits plan, Mainspring is committed to recruiting at least 20% of its new employees from underrepresented communities, and will offer at least 25% of non-production contracting opportunities to minority or underrepresented-population owned businesses. The company also will support more than 20 apprentices.
The proposed Mainspring manufacturing facility enjoys broad bipartisan support from Pennsylvania Congressmen Guy Reschenthaler, Chris Deluzio, and Mike Kelly as well as Senators Bob Casey, Jr. and John Fetterman. The project also has the support of a bipartisan group of state legislators.