Clean energy company moving into former Caterpillar plant in Montgomery

A clean energy company will be moving into the former Caterpillar plant in Montgomery.

The Montgomery Village Board unanimously agreed to allow a special use for heavy manufacturing for Calypso Clean Energy Manufacturing LLC at its July 24 meeting.

The energy company, which creates solar goods, will be housed in two buildings inside The Grid, which is the former Caterpillar plant location on Route 31.

Trustee Theresa Sperling ran the board meeting in Mayor Matt Brolley’s absence.

After the meeting, she spoke positively about the special use approved.

“Green energy is really at the forefront of everything at this point. And going into the grid – it’s a great place for it to go because that was a heavy manufacturing area.”

The company produces solar cells that go into solar panels, and will bring nearly 600 jobs to the area.

Jared Wren, development manager of Hecate Energy, said he hopes to source as many people locally as possible.

Robert Smith, chief operating officer of Calypso Energy, said that 60% to 70% of the jobs will be nondegreed and that job skills will be taught in Montgomery.

Anticipated jobs listed include general and operations managers, industrial production managers, industrial engineers, materials engineers, industrial engineering technologists, metal fabricators, electrical assemblers, machinists and production worker helpers.

Wren said that the reason for the special use permit is because of the various chemicals that will be used.

According to a Planning and Zoning Commission Advisory report, gases and chemicals that will be stored outside the building include, but are not limited to, liquid hydrogen, nitrogen, liquid oxygen, nitrogen trifluoride and silane.

“There’s always going to be residual gas,” Smith said. He said there would be “scrubbers” that scrub air.

Smith spoke on working in the field for almost 40 years.

“I’ve never seen an accident,” Smith said.

Sperling expressed confidence in the safety of having the manufacturing company in Montgomery.

“I am confident in what they are saying, their safety precautions in place and there’s checks and balances with their safety measures,” Sperling said. “And of course, those things are also governed by states and of course federal laws when it comes to working with the various chemicals that will come into play with the solar production.”