Michigan is Cornering the Advanced Energy Storage Manufacturing Market in the U.S.

by Bruce Goodman

By 2015 Michigan will have up to 40 percent of the world’s capacity to produce lithium-ion batteries for automobiles. With President Obama in attendance, a new advanced battery plant funded in part by ARRA monies has broken ground in Holland to make electric car batteries for Chevy Volts and Ford Focus vehicles. The LG Chem-Compact Power plant was also recently approved for a 15-year Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone designation. In June, Vice President Biden attended a similar groundbreaking at Dow Kokam in Midland for a new battery factory. In all, $2.4 billion in federal grants has created a series of advanced battery manufacturing factories in Michigan where previously there were none.