As the federal government pulls back support for businesses crafting technology in the field of renewable energy, Joe Hastry of florrent said Massachusetts is “stepping in as a state to bridge that gap.”
The business, an energy storage solutions research and development company focusing on supercapacitors that operates out of locations in Sunderland and South Deerfield, recently received $120,000 in 90% refundable state tax incentives through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to expand its team of 15 full-time employees. Although six new employees joined florrent this year since the new incentive program started, Hastry, the company’s co-founder, said the goal is to add about 10 new technicians to the fold next year and more than 20 after 2029 with the help of the state program.
“Massachusetts has the talent, ideas and innovation to lead the next generation of climatetech,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said in a statement. “We’re making sure companies have the support they need to take their ideas to the next level and stay here as they grow. That strengthens our economy and creates new opportunities for people and communities across Massachusetts.”
In addition to the tax incentives for florrent, MassCEC awarded XFlow Energy in Deerfield a $239,012 grant to build a wind turbine at Red Apple Farm in Phillipston. The new turbine will serve as a “pilot” project for the company as it gathers feedback from the farmers and shares the results with other customers, according to Benjamin Strom, chief technical officer at XFlow Energy. He added that the wind energy should eventually pay for itself.
“Our mission is to work on technologies that lower the cost of wind power,” Strom explained.
Although Strom said the “small wind” industry has dodged hefty blows to federal support, he has seen similar companies recently close their doors.
“Any sort of support that the state can provide, either incentives or grants like this, to make up for the lack of federal support is obviously crucial,” Strom said.
Hastry said the money from MassCEC “goes a long way” for startups set on expanding. At florrent, the funds will help the company turn “a cool innovation into a real product that’s out there making a difference in the world.”
In its South Deerfield building, florrent engineers and other scientists craft “supercapacitors,” or high-speed batteries designed to meet the rise in electric cars, electric buildings, data centers and other “big loads” for the electric grid.
“We’re like shock absorbers for the grid,” Hastry explained. “Our supercapacitors make sure everything’s nice and smooth and reliable so that there’s no power outages and things like that.”
The supercapacitors’ power comes from an unlikely source: pecan shells. Instead of sending pecan shells to landfills, pecan farmers in Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas send the shells to florrent. Through high pressure and heat, the shells become charred carbon, Hastry said. More high pressure and heat with the help of a few chemicals transforms the nut shells into an activated carbon powder, which is then wrapped into a cell and stacked into racks before it becomes the supercapacitor.
“These companies are doing more than growing our economy,” Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley said in a statement. “They’re tackling some of our toughest climate and energy challenges and showing why Massachusetts is the best place for this type of innovation.”
Hastry and Strom said they hope to create more career paths in western Massachusetts with the new state funding.
“I think not a lot of people in western Mass. know that there are jobs like that out in the area, but we know that there’s tons of talent locally. … We’re trying to create a pipeline of local talent through these local programs and into local clean energy careers,” Hastry said. “It’s important that people know there are clean energy careers and clean energy opportunities out in western Mass.”
