Michigan readies another $200 million for battery tech companies
The line to build advanced battery plants in Michigan is starting to form - A123 Systems is ready, so is GM - and now Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has officially signed legislation to make another $220 million in tax credits available for companies to make those cells and packs in the mitten state. All told, Michigan is now offering $555 million in new battery tax credits; Granholm said that was the most generous of all the states. The bill proposing the increase was submitted by State Rep. Dian Slavens (D-Canton). On top of the battery money, another $20 million will be added to the $70 million available for integrating and prototyping battery-powered vehicles. The Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) can now also approve up to $300 million of the total $555 million to help companies build battery-cell manufacturing facilities.
[Source: Detroit Free Press, Canton Eagle]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 10:18AM (4/12/2009)
Michigan has some of the worst roads in the US, but they can afford to give $200 million in tax credit to giant battery companies.
Corporatism + Socialism + Fascism = “Progressive” Movement
Hitler and Mussolini used this formula and were all VERY popular with their own people... at first.
(some things like human nature NEVER change.)
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polo 2:40PM (4/12/2009)
Was it fascism and socialism when Bush gave $50Billion to oil companies?? Do you even know how many subsidies and tax breaks southern rethuglican states give to foreign automakers?? Did you ever stop to consider these plants will bring in highly paid jobs, meaning more tax money for things like road repair? Ever since Limbaugh did his rant I've noticed an uptick in you nuts posting on here.
Rain 6:01PM (4/12/2009)
Limbaugh does not write his own material,that task falls to the thinktanks under the tax-free funding of the tele/evangelicals.
Limbaugh has a He-ewge audience and so it is the most cost effective way of disseminating the Agit-prop and welt-politikk.
When a Conservative gives 5 read five trillion dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest 10% of the populace as in over the past eight years it is not socialism it is cause for a celebration.
The reality is the money which was given for and by Me and You to the richest has left the country into numbered offshore bank accounts and industry.
Investing in this country is an investment in You and Your wages.
You Guys should crack a dictionary before You go bandying Grown-up words,it just makes You sound like a Derf.
Marx is probably rolling in his grave about now.
Here is a Citizen Advocacy Group in operation for some thirty years now,which keeps an eye on the Elitest shenanigans:
http://site.pfaw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=rww_in_focus_right_retools_as_resistance_movement
Scott 12:28AM (4/13/2009)
Thanks Glen Beck.
Its fascism when the largess of the Federal government points away from the personal corporate charity that you're interested in.
Polo is right. When it was/is directed at farm subsidies, countless tax code payoffs, oil and the military it wasn't fascism? How can you pick and choose.
Somehow taking less from a vital industry a giveaway that we can't afford? I don't get it.
Seems to me that we need A123 to make as many batteries as possible as soon as possible.
jharlan 10:55AM (4/12/2009)
I don't know about Michigan politics, but any money the state spends to encourage development and manufacturing in the new technologies at least has a chance of having a multiplying effect on the state's economy which certainly would be beneficial to state revenues. Michigan has the ready labor force, idled by the troubles in the US car industry. I like this plan.
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gorr 11:25AM (4/12/2009)
This is a painful and uncouncious 100% communist view from you, where nothing is really own by somebody and projects have to be collective and general and especially nobody have the right to keep is income and investment privatetly and nobody is allowed unlimited energy. I'll stay away from your proposed slow death.
harlanx6 11:29AM (4/12/2009)
Thank you Gorr:
If you had agreed with me I would have known I was wrong.
polo 2:23PM (4/12/2009)
@gorr,
If you think government subsidies for companies to develop new tech is "a slow death" then there's no way in hell you could support hydrogen. Hydrogen tech will require BILLIONS in subsidies for at least another 20-30YEARS, and then HUNDREDS OF BILLION in **SUBSIDIES* to build the infastructure. There is no way you can call a couple hundred million for batteries "communism", and then advocate hydrogen.
And show me what state doesn't give tax incentives to industries to locate there. Even the hardcore rethuglican states give heavy subsidies to the foreign automakers to locate in their states.
gorr 11:00AM (4/13/2009)
@ Polo. I just said to stop communism so stop talking my name with hydrogen. It's you alone that say that hydrogen will cost billions in subsidies and that your opinion of you alone and this opinion of you worth nothing. I said and i repeat because someone was talking my name: Converting one car to run on gazeous hydrogen cost 300$- 1 000$ approx, it's not complicated and i explained many times before how it works. You have just to change the carburation of the ice and install a high efficiency water electrolyser.
So it's your last comminism statement of your entire existence here today. speak your name so i will be able to understand you. Stop any opinion that have been expressed in the past, stop any pseudo-science explanation. Sciences are self explanatory like cold- hot, gravity, duress like air or rocks, etc. Child of 2 years old know science instinctivelly and only mad people rely on sciences to live and especially talking about sciences like madscientist in goverment is one of the biggest crime agaist humanity like the recent study of barack about human genome and abortion, these communists guy are popular because they resent to the wish of general joe that want to eradicate biology because they cannot f*ck peacefully.
harlanx6 11:30AM (4/13/2009)
Polo:
You will just have to excuse GORR, his record is stuck.
joe wilson 9:11PM (4/12/2009)
It sounds ok to me...of course I'm not from Michigan. They have to get the incentive from somewhere. The sooner they get electric cars on the road the better.
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billwas1 11:30AM (4/12/2009)
I live in Michigan and believe me, we can't afford this.
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Throwback 1:33PM (4/12/2009)
How else can Mi lure jobs? I don't have the answer but it seems the state does not have a lot of options.
Mark 2:04PM (4/12/2009)
Well instead of people saying how this will fail, why don't they give some suggestions?
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polo 2:32PM (4/12/2009)
Well, they aren't really saying this will fail. They're just saying its communism, socialism, and fascism all rolled into one...in other words they're idiots attacking this plan because it makes EVs and battery-powered cars that much more a reality.
Apparently Limbaugh got his check from the oil companies in the mail so now we're going to be see more clowns like these around.
Tohe 5:41PM (4/12/2009)
The communist argument is laughable. But you know, Joe McCarthy was from the midwest lol.