LG Energy Solution starts battery production at new Lansing facility

LG Energy Solution has started making batteries at a new plant in Lansing, Michigan, built with more than $2 billion in investment since 2022. The 226-acre facility will eventually produce over 35 GWh of batteries a year and employ about 1,700 workers, up from 900 today.

The plant makes two kinds of batteries. One type, called LFP (lithium iron phosphate), is meant for large-scale energy storage systems — the big batteries utilities and businesses use to store power, sometimes paired with solar or wind. DTE Energy, a Detroit-based utility, plans to use Lansing-made LFP batteries in upcoming storage projects. The other type, called NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt), is for electric vehicles and will power Toyota's 2027 Highlander EV.

This adds to LG's existing battery plant in Holland, Michigan, which has run for more than 20 years. Combined with research facilities in Troy, the company expects its Michigan workforce to top 3,300 by the end of 2026, representing over $5 billion invested in the state since 2010.

For homeowners, the news matters mainly because of where the batteries are made. Building battery cells domestically helps energy storage projects and utilities qualify for U.S. content rules tied to federal clean energy tax credits. LG says it's aiming for 80% of its global energy-storage battery production to be based in North America by the end of 2026, which could support more U.S.-made storage systems — the kind sometimes paired with home solar or backup power setups — as this manufacturing capacity comes online.