February 12, 2026
Energy storage in the citythe first utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) center project in the state of Maine came online on February 11.
Located on approximately five acres of land in the small town of Gorham in southern Maine, the 175 MW and 350 MWh is the largest of its kind in the region, narrowly beating the Cranberry Point Energy Storage center in Massachusetts. Texan energy company and BESS specialist Plus power will operate the battery center.
According to Maine Governor Janet Mills, the project hopes to smooth out peaks in energy grid usage and the resulting rising energy costs.
“Today, Maine welcomed the largest energy storage project of its kind in New England, delivering real cost savings and reliable power to Maine,” said Mills. “This project will help lower electricity costs by reducing the need for expensive fossil fuels when the electric grid is stressed, as we saw during recent extremely cold weather. I congratulate the City of Gorham and Plus Power on this important achievement that will deliver lasting savings and reliability for Maine residents.”
For Plus Power, the new energy station is only one piece of the broader sustainable energy puzzle, albeit an important one. According to its website, the company currently has approximately 11 GW of renewable energy under development in more than 20 US states.
“Plus Power is proud to once again operate a historic facility in New England and further strengthen energy reliability in the region,” said Naveen Abraham, CEO of Plus Power. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with ISO New England as our facilities demonstrate the unique capabilities of battery energy storage systems.”
Great expectations
The new Cross Town BESS center is just one part of a larger renewable energy vision in Vacationland, officials say. According to the state Maine Energy PlanMills and other state officials are aiming for Maine to run on 100% renewable energy by 2040 as demand continues to rise. Additionally, the state has further targets to deploy 400 MW of battery energy storage by 2030.
“The report also shows that while electricity demand in Maine is expected to more than double between now and 2050 as heating and transportation are electrified, overall energy use will decline as Maine moves away from traditional combustion technologies to high-efficiency electric technologies such as heat pumps and electric vehicles,” state officials say. “Greater use of electricity across the economy also results in lower electricity prices over time as costs are spread across a greater number of customers and applications.”
Along with the Maine Energy Plan, the state has also created a four-year climate plan called “Maine won’t wait.” In its 2025 annual report, the plan found that the Lobster State is 91% of the way to full carbon neutrality, supported by more than 20,000 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on roadways across the state.
“Maine must reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet its 2030 and 2050 targets and do our part to limit global warming to 1.5°C this century,” the plan says. “This means we need to change our transport, our buildings and our energy to use cleaner energy sources, such as electricity from renewable sources.”
Tags: batteries, BESS, Cross Town Energy Storage, ESS, Maine, Plus Power, project, utility scale
