From: Whipple, Deb (GOV)
Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 3:58 PM
Subject: Governor's Office Talking Points - 8 5 09

Governor, Lt. Governor Hail 12 Michigan Projects Awarded Advanced Battery Grants

Governor Granholm and Lt. Governor Cherry hailed today’s announcement by Vice President Joe Biden that 12 Michigan projects have been

awarded more than $1.35 billion in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to support advanced battery and electric vehicle manufacturing and

development. Funding for the competitive grants comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Companies involved in the 12 projects include General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, along with battery cell manufacturing companies A123 Systems,

Johnson Controls, KD Advanced Battery Group and Compact Power (on behalf of LG Chem).

Talking points:

• Today’s announcement means new economic development and thousands of new jobs for Michigan. We’re capitalizing on our state’s

engineering and technological expertise, manufacturing capacity, skilled workforce and cutting-edge universities.

• Jobs to be created by the 12 Michigan projects are estimated at 6,800 in the next 18 months and up to 40,000 by 2020.

• Advanced battery manufacturing is one of the targeted sectors in the Granholm administration’s strategic plan to diversify Michigan’s

economy. The administration is working to establish an entire advanced battery industry in the state, with manufacturers, suppliers and the whole value

chain located here, creating new economic activity and new jobs.

• Michigan battery companies are thinking globally and will serve a worldwide market.

• Not only is advanced battery manufacturing an economic development issue, it’s also a national security issue. Electric vehicles will

reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

• The groundwork for receiving today’s grants was laid three years ago. In 2006, the Granholm administration identified the advanced

battery market as a key emerging sector that Michigan, already the global center of automotive research and development, was positioned to lead.

• Michigan saw the opportunity for an advanced battery industry well before any other state and developed an innovative strategy to bring

to Michigan the jobs and economic development created by advanced battery research, development and manufacturing.

• Key to the 12 projects winning the DOE grants is Michigan’s first-in-the-nation advanced battery tax credit program. Earlier this year, the

governor signed into law legislation providing up to $700 million in refundable tax credits to encourage Michigan companies to develop and

manufacture advanced batteries.

• The grants announced today, combined with the state’s other alternative energy initiatives in the areas of wind and solar power, make

Michigan a leader in the green industrial revolution.

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