RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — In the heart of Smyrna, AESC produces 13,000 energy storage system batteries in an effort to keep up with increasing energy demand across the country. 

In recent years, even Middle Tennessee hasn't been immune to power grid shortages.  

“The power forecast for the United States in terms of demand for electricity is forecasted to go up maybe 60 percent over the next 10 years,” said Jeff Deaton, Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Sales. “So, to meet that, there's got to be a lot more energy generation, a lot more batteries added to the grid to add stability to the grid.” 

The facility is roughly 550,000 square feet and employs more than 500 workers.  

“Especially on the West Coast, in the western part of the United States, there are constant brown outs and blackouts when there's not enough energy on the grid. So, these batteries are a great solution to store energy when energy's available. And then when it's really needed at peak, when everybody's running their air conditioning and high energy demands, energy comes out of the batteries, back to the grid, which makes it more resilient,” Deaton said.  

AESC isn’t new to Smyrna and has been operating in the area for the past 13 years, however, previously the company’s focus was on EV batteries.  

Chris Whitaker is a longtime employee who helped the company through its transition and now serves as a production manager for cell assembly.  

“It's not reteaching, it's basically pivoting and understanding what the new challenges are and being able to attack those head on,” Whitaker said.  

Whitaker said Smyrna's centralized location is a key advantage, not just to reach customers in Tennessee but across the country, and perhaps even beyond. 

It's always good to be able to drive improvements and be able to do things that are going to impact not only your community, but the world itself. 

AESC is projected to continue growing, with company leaders expecting to one day employ 850 workers. 

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/smyrna-battery-plant-aims-to-supplement-power-grid/