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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 2 4 F O C U S R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / E N G I N E E R I N G "It's relatively new," says Tourangeau. "But it's being deployed worldwide and is shown to be very effective." According to Plus Power, grid decarboniza- tion and extreme weather are adding stress to a power grid built for a bygone era. Standalone battery power plants, the company says, help to stabilize the grid and also accommodate energy produced by solar and wind power plants. e company operates three projects in Hawaii and Texas and has developed two projects in Texas that are owned by others. Plus Power has six more projects in construction, including Cross Town. Polly Shaw, Plus Power's chief external rela- tions officer, says the company was drawn to Maine by the state's goals for decarbonization and sustainable energy. In recent years, the state passed legislation that set goals for energy storage — 300 megawatts by the end of 2025 and 400 megawatts (nearly 20% of peak demand that year) by the end of 2030 — and directs steps to advance its deployment. e targets established Maine as the ninth state with codified energy storage targets. e project will utilize 156 energy storage con- tainers that consist of arrays of interconnected lithium-ion battery cells inside rectangular hous- ing units that are about the size of a shipping container, along with integrated liquid-cooled HVAC systems with sophisticated sensors and controls to maintain climate conditions. Other components include inverters, a power trans- former and underground cabling. e systems are made by Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd., headquartered in Hefei, China. e project is expected to employ just over 50 people, including apprentices, during construction and two to three people post-construction. Lithium-ion batteries can be a safety haz- ard due to flammable electrolytes. Shaw and Tourangeau say that Plus Power follows national safety standards and codes specific to battery stor- age, works with a consultancy called the Energy Safety Response Group, brings in local fire depart- ments for trainings, and has strict operating and mitigation procedures that include Central Maine Power and the grid operator, as well as local first responders and others. Shaw Brothers, headquartered in Gorham, did the initial site work. Pittsfield-based Cianbro Corp. will build the facility to Plus Power's engineering speci- fications and will stay on the job through testing and commissioning. Construction is expected to start in May and the goal is to be commercially operational by mid-summer 2025. e battery storage market is growing, says Tourangeau. "We have a strong influx of wind and now solar," he says. "e challenge is that those are intermit- tent. As we get to higher and higher levels of pen- etration of renewable resources, batteries become more important to store it and to discharge it. It's that next piece that allows us to add more renew- able energy onto the grid and help with the transi- tion away from carbon-intensive resources." Health care investment A bigger home for the Seaport Community Health Center is almost complete. Building 5 in the former MBNA Bank of America complex at 21 Schoodic Drive, along Route 3 in the Waldo County city of Belfast, has been undergoing renovation and fit-up for the center, which is part of Penobscot Community Health Care. e space will be more than double the size of Seaport's lease at nearby 53 Schoodic Drive. Earlier this year, Evernorth Rural Ventures, a subsid- iary of Evernorth, closed an $8.9 million New Markets Tax Credit investment for the $9.6 million expansion. Evernorth is a nonprofit based in Portland and Burlington, Vt., serving low- and moderate-income people of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont with affordable housing and community investments. A/Z Corpora� on is an industry-leading construc� on services provider with an extensive por� olio. We have been a part of the Cianbro family of companies since 2019 and are pleased to announce that A/Z and Cianbro's ver� cal construc� on management group have combined forces and integrated into one focused team: A/Z Corpora� on – A Cianbro Company. Together, we are partnering with our clients to provide best-in-class: Design & Engineering Preconstruc� on Design-Build & EPCM CM/General Contrac� ng Self-Perform Trades Energy Management Building More Together To learn more, visit a-zcorp.com ACADEMIC ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY & MANUFACTURING CORPORATE & NON-PROFIT DISTRIBUTED GENERATION HEALTHCARE HOSPITALITY LIFE SCIENCES MISSION CRITICAL UTILITIES C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » It's that next piece that allows us to add more renewable energy onto the grid and help with the transition away from carbon-intensive resources. — Mark Tourangeau Plus Power

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