California-based Natron Energy is set to build a sodium-ion gigafactory facility in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, with a production capacity of 24GWh. The company did not specify any firm timelines for commercial operation or ramp-up, but confirmed it is a 12-year project worth $1.4 billion. This will be Natron’s second major production facility after launching commercial operations at a 600MWh factory in Michigan earlier this year. The North Carolina facility is supported by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG), approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee, and the project will also apply for a US$30 million grant from the North Carolina Megasite Readiness Program. Additionally, the company should benefit from 45x tax credits for US domestic battery production under the Inflation Reduction Act.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
