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Recovery Act Projects in Full Swing through Michigan's Summer Season
June 18, 2010
June 18, 2010
Pace picks up as weather warms, putting hundreds of Michigan workers on the job
LANSING - This summer, hundreds of transportation, weatherization, and alternative energy projects will boost total Recovery Act spending and job creation in Michigan. Nationally, Recovery Act spending to date is responsible for approximately 2.5 million jobs and more than 54,000 jobs in Michigan. By the end of 2010, the Obama administration anticipates reaching a total of 3.5 million jobs created or retained nationwide thanks to the Recovery Act.
"Michigan residents will see the Recovery Act at work in communities all across the state this summer," said Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. "This surge of Recovery Act activity will put even more Michigan workers on the job and pave the way for millions of dollars in private sector investment in our state."
Some highlights of this summer's Recovery Act activity in Michigan include:
Transportation
- Michigan travelers will see an increase in Recovery Act-funded highway and transit projects this summer, with 507 highway projects and 260 transit projects underway statewide.
Weatherization
- Weatherization work is ramping up, with an anticipated 6,962 Michigan homes weatherized by August. Over two years the effort will employ 1,000 workers and weatherize up to 40,000 Michigan homes.
Energy Efficiency
- Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) will fund projects in more than 170 Michigan communities starting this summer, helping them save energy, save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create jobs.
Clean and Drinking Water
- Michigan communities will break ground on 91 clean and drinking water projects this summer.
Advanced Automotive Battery Technologies
- Last August, 12 Michigan companies were awarded more than half of all the Recovery Act grants for advanced automotive technologies, helping position Michigan as the advanced-battery capital of North America.
- General Motors Brownstown facility produced the first advanced automotive lithium-ion battery in January, and will ramp up production this summer.
- On June 18, Dow Kokam will break ground on an advanced-battery facility in Midland, immediately creating 1,000 jobs in construction.
- Johnson Controls-Saft in Holland is currently retrofitting their plant and installing new equipment; this summer the company will begin testing and validating their battery systems, and anticipate shipping product this fall.
- A123 in Livonia is hiring engineers, will begin testing production in early summer, and will begin commercial production by late summer.
- Compact Power/LG Chem broke ground on a new Holland, Michigan facility on June 2.
- Toda America has begun construction of a new factory in Battle Creek.
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