Dive Brief:
- Global electrical and automation manufacturer ABB is planning a $40 million manufacturing facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to bolster the U.S. electric grid, it announced Thursday.
- The 90,000-square-foot facility will boost production of Elastimold-brand cable products used by electric utility providers in grid hardening projects, according to the release.
- Once completed in 2024, the facility will be equipped with ABB’s robotics technology and digital automation to produce more than 1 million units yearly.
Dive Insight:
ABB’s expansion in New Mexico follows rising demand from the utility industry, which is set to receive a massive injection of federal funding to upgrade the power grid.
In November, The Department of Energy announced a total of $13 billion in grants under two separate programs aimed at improving grid resilience and building out transmission lines across the country, according to a White House fact sheet.
In addition to programs funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act frees up nearly $3 billion in transmission funding.
“As the focus on strengthening the US infrastructure and electric grid intensified, ABB’s latest investment in Albuquerque will advance our production capabilities and significantly boost capacity to meet the needs of utilities for safe, reliable and innovative solutions,” ABB’s Electrification Installation Products Division President Matthias Heilmann said in a statement.
The new facility will be located ABB’s 40-acre campus, which houses an existing Installation Products manufacturing facility.
“Continuing to grow our US manufacturing operations and distribution network accelerates our ability to deliver high-demand electrical products our partners rely on,” Heilmann said.
