This week’s radio address highlights the importance of volunteering to serve our communities and our country.

Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.

Saturday is the Fourth of July, the day we celebrate our nation’s independence. It’s a day for fireworks and barbeques and parades – a day when our chests swell with patriotic pride.

Now there’s a way you can demonstrate that patriotic pride all summer. It’s by volunteering through United We Serve, a national call to service by President Obama. United We Serve is an opportunity for Americans to serve their country this summer by volunteering and creating positive change in their communities.

United We Serve challenges all Americans to join in our country’s economic and social renewal by engaging in sustained, meaningful community service. This summer initiative has just begun, and it will conclude on a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.

United We Serve is targeting four areas: education, health care, energy independence, and community renewal. The president says while government is tackling all these issues, government can’t do the job alone. To rebuild our local communities, our state and our nation, volunteers are essential.

For even though we can build new schools, we’ll still need mentors and tutors for schoolchildren. While we can improve our health care system, we’ll still need volunteers to staff hospitals and teach people about healthy lifestyles. And while we can allocate funds to weatherize homes, we’ll still need volunteers to caulk windows and install insulation.

I strongly urge you to visit the United We Serve Web site: serve.gov. By typing in your zip code, you can find local volunteer opportunities.

Better yet, try creating your own service project in which your family or friends and neighbors can participate. The United We Serve Web site can help you with ideas, and you also can use it to recruit volunteers.

In Michigan, the United We Serve effort is being led by the Michigan Community Service Commission, chaired by the first gentleman. You can find more information on volunteer opportunities on the state of Michigan Web site. Just go to michigan.gov and type the word “volunteer” in the search box.

Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”

Volunteering this summer through United We Serve is one way we can do for others. The first gentleman and I have found volunteer work to be immensely rewarding, and we believe you will too. Please consider joining the thousands of United We Serve volunteers, and we can keep that Fourth of July spirit going all summer long.

Thank you for listening, and have a great holiday weekend.

For more on volunteer opportunities in Michigan, visit the Michigan Community Service Commission web page for some ideas.

Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

Here is the entire press conference of today’s GE announcement that they are bringing a new advanced technology and training center to Michigan:

Today’s radio address applauds GE’s decision to locate their new research and development center in Michigan.

Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.

“Imagination at Work” is the slogan of the General Electric Company. When GE was imagining where to locate its new advanced technology and training center, it came up with a wonderful idea: Michigan.

Friday morning, I was proud to participate in GE’s announcement that it’ll open a new advanced technology and training center in Wayne County’s Van Buren Township, about 25 miles outside of Detroit. The center will focus on developing advanced manufacturing technology, software and information technology. It’ll employ 1,200 people and it also will create more than 1,600 indirect and spinoff jobs.

There was fierce competition among states for this center. So why did GE select Michigan over states like Ohio, New York and South Carolina? GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt put it this way: “Michigan is a great location for a technology center because of its world-class engineering and technical talent and public officials who understand that investing now will create tomorrow’s leading positions in information technology, clean energy and transportation.”

GE’s advanced technology and training center is exactly the kind of high tech, cutting-edge investment we continue working to bring to Michigan. Our manufacturing and technological expertise, our universities, our skilled workforce and competitive business climate make our state a top choice for visionary business leaders.

GE will also establish a research and development center at the Van Buren Township site. Scientists and engineers at the center will develop next-generation manufacturing technologies for GE’s aircraft engines, gas turbines, renewable energy and other high technology products. This will include developing composites, machining, inspection, casting and coating technologies for GE’s aviation and energy businesses.

What’s particularly exciting will be the research center’s work on manufacturing technologies for those renewable energy products. GE’s one of the world’s leading wind turbine suppliers and also manufactures solar energy products for homes and businesses.

The renewable energy facet of GE’s business meshes nicely with our economic development incentives as we focus on leading the nation’s green industrial revolution and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Michigan will design and manufacture fuel-efficient cars, advanced batteries for electric cars, wind turbines, solar panels and more.

GE’s decision to invest and grow in Michigan is great news for our state and our citizens. And it’s also a signal to other companies across America and the world that they, too, can thrive in Michigan. We’ve got the manufacturing infrastructure, the technological knowhow, the talented workforce, the universities and the natural resources for them to do it – all the wonderful attributes any company could imagine are right here in Michigan.

Thank you for listening.

For more information on today’s announcement, see the blog post here.

Big thanks go out to GE for choosing Michigan!

Governor Granholm and GE CEO and Chairman Jeff Immelt appeared on CNBC this morning - watch the interview below:

Major announcement from Governor Granhom, MEDC and General Electric this morning:

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) has chosen Michigan for a new advanced technology and training center to be located at Visteon Village in Van Buren Twp. (Wayne County). The company plans to make a significant financial investment in the new center that is expected to create 1,200 direct jobs and more than 1,600 indirect and spin-off jobs, according to an economic analysis conducted by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

Joining the governor in today’s announcement was GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt, U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, President Obama’s Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers Ed Montgomery, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr., and other state and local officials.

“No state is working harder than Michigan to diversify its economy and create new jobs,” Granholm said. “GE’s decision to invest and grow in Michigan demonstrates that we have the high-tech workforce and competitive business climate necessary for global giants like GE to thrive in the 21st century.”

The center will focus on the development of advanced manufacturing technology and software and information technology and will consolidate GE’s experts in software development, data architecture, networking, business intelligence and program management. They will develop software to support GE’s business operations for several advanced technologies. The site also will serve as a training hub for GE information technology professionals.

“To lead in manufacturing, grow our exports and create high-value jobs in the U.S., we must invest in technology and in people,” GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said. “The scientists, engineers and technologists that will work and learn at this center will help GE develop innovative new software, processes and technologies to make our manufacturing businesses even more productive and competitive. Michigan is a great location for a technology center because of its world-class engineering, technical talent and public officials who understand that investing now will create tomorrow’s leading positions in information technology, clean energy and transportation.”

GE also will establish a research and development center at the site that will be part of GE’s Global Research network. It will house scientists and engineers who will develop next generation manufacturing technologies for GE’s leading aircraft engines, gas turbines, renewable energy and other high technology products. Such work will include development of composites, machining, inspection, casting and coating technologies for GE’s Aviation and Energy businesses.

Watch the video from GE Reports:

Learn more about GE at http://www.ge.com, and GE’s Global Research at http://www.ge.com/research.

US Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited Battle Creek today to announce that Michigan will receive and additional $32.8 million in federal grants to help our state reduce energy usage and create new markets for renewable energy products. Secretary Chu was visiting to promote the United We Serve campaign, the Obama administration’s initiative to encourage people to volunteer in their communities. Secretary Chu, Governor Granholm, and Representative Mark Schauer were on hand to help assemble energy efficiency kits and distribute educational materials to local volunteers. WKZO provides the video of the announcement:

The Detroit Free Press has more:

The money will come from a $3.1 billion portion of the federal stimulus plan aimed at helping states reduce energy consumption and shift to renewable energy.

“This funding will provide an important boost for state economies, help put Americans back to work, and move us toward energy independence,” Chu said in a prepared statement. “It reflects our commitment to support innovative state and local strategies to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy while insisting that taxpayer dollars be spent responsibly.”

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who accompanied Chu in Battle Creek, said the federal grants will help the state diversity its economy by promoting the renewable energy industry and create jobs.

Governor Granholm also used this opportunity to promote volunteerism in our state.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today encouraged Michigan citizens to embrace volunteerism as part of the Obama administration’s United We Serve initiative that kicks off today and runs through September 11, the National Day of Service and Remembrance. The initiative focuses on four key areas: education, health, energy and the environment, and community renewal.

“Volunteers are the heroes of our state and help to create positive change during these challenging times when many of our fellow citizens could benefit from a helping hand,” Granholm said. “United We Serve is a great way to extend that helping hand, and I encourage all Michigan citizens to consider participating sometime this summer.”

To learn more about United We Serve, visit http://www.serve.gov on the web. The Michigan Community Service Commission, which is chaired by First Gentleman Mulhern, will lead the United We Serve effort in Michigan. Additional information on volunteer opportunities is available at www.michigan.gov/volunteer .

In honor of Father’s Day, First Gentleman Dan Mulhern delivers this week’s radio address to ask that people consider serving as mentors to Michigan youth.

Hello, this is First Gentleman Dan Mulhern.

This Sunday is Father’s Day, a day to honor fatherhood and male parenting. The irony of Father’s Day is that it was conceived by a woman listening to a church sermon about Mother’s Day. Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, rallied others to support a day for dads, and the first Father’s Day was held June 19, 1910, in Spokane.

While Sunday is rightfully a day for fathers, consider a different perspective on this holiday. What is Father’s Day like for boys and girls who don’t have a dad? And what can be done to fill this void? One answer is a program that’s helping thousands of Michigan children who get guidance and inspiration from an adult - it’s called Mentor Michigan.

Mentor Michigan supports more than 200 organizations around the state that are changing lives by linking youth with adult mentors. Mentor Michigan provides these organizations with training and research. It also fosters partnerships with businesses, faith-based and nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and government to support mentoring.

In 2008, almost 23,000 children had mentors in Michigan. Some of these youth had a cognitive or physical disability, or an incarcerated parent.

Does mentoring work? Consider this: children with mentors are 52 percent less likely to skip school, 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, and 27 percent less likely to use alcohol.

In 2008, Michigan had about 17,000 active mentors. Mentor Michigan has a goal of recruiting 10,000 new mentors by 2010. You know I’m going to ask you to think about being one of those 10,000. But first here’s an easy way for everyone to help.

If you’re still looking for a Father’s Day gift, consider giving or buying and using a Meijer gift card. If you purchase a Meijer gift card worth $25 on Saturday only, $2 will be donated by Meijer to Mentor Michigan. Meijer did a similar promotion last year, and, believe it or not, we raised $20,000 for Mentor Michigan.

Second, consider becoming a mentor. While the number of women serving as mentors is fantastic, male mentors are especially needed, because only 36 percent of the mentors in 2008 were men.

Being a mentor doesn’t require any special skills. The only requirements are the ability to care and the willingness to spend time with a young person who needs you. If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, simply call 1-800-VOLUNTEER.

When prompted, you’ll enter your zip code. You’ll be connected to the nearest volunteer center which will help place you with a local mentoring program. Again, the number is 1-800-VOLUNTEER. Jennifer and I love being mentors. You would too.

Thank you for listening. And Happy Father’s Day!

To learn more, visit Mentor Michigan on the web at http://www.michigan.gov/mentormichigan.

Big announcement from Governor Granholm and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation today - 15 job-creating projects will generate more than 11,125 new jobs, retain another 846 and bring more than $247 million in new investment to communities across the state. The companies involved show Michigan’s continued commitment to diversifying our economy: from aerospace and automotive, to a major expansion for one of the country’s largest insurance companies, to alternative energy. Here is the list:

• Alma Products I – The 65-year-old subsidiary of ETX, Inc. is a manufacturer and remanufacturer of air conditioning compressors, torque converters, clutch & disc assemblies and transmissions plans to invest $1.9 million to relocate the remanufactured transmission operation of ETX Transmissions Inc. from Mundelein, Illinois to Alma. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) estimates that increased economic activity created by the facility will create 158 new jobs, including 76 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 82 indirect jobs.

• Farmers Group Inc. – The insurance management services provider plans to invest $84.4 million to expand their operating capabilities on the grounds of their existing Caledonia location. The expansion includes a print and distribution center, call center growth space and a training facility, which is an expansion of the University of Farmers Grand Rapids, to provide training for approximately 5,000 employees and company agents each year. The project is expected to create 2,727 new jobs, including 1,600 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 1,127 indirect jobs.

• Holland Awning Company, d/b/a Integrated Fabric Resource – The custom designer and manufacturer of fabric-based packaging products servicing the auto industry plans to invest $3.7 million to expand in Holland Charter Township to produce flexi-tanks for shipping bulk liquids. The project is expected to create 510 new jobs, including 270 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 240 indirect jobs.

• Johnson Technology Inc. – The aerospace manufacturer and producer of jet engine components for military and commercial operations plans to invest $15 million to bring work to its Muskegon plant from competitors in five states to develop a new high-tech plasma coating spray for use in aircraft engines. The project is expected to create 167 new jobs, including 74 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project could also create an additional 93 indirect jobs.

• Roskam Baking Company – The supplier of croutons, cereal, snack mixes and dry-mix products for major food companies plans to invest $60.5 million to add new lines at its Kentwood facility to make products for independent businesses. The project is expected to create 3,168 new jobs, including 1,500 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 1,668 indirect jobs.

• Axiobionics LLC – The developer and marketer of new and innovative medical devices for pain control and neuro rehabilitation in patients with brain and spinal cord injuries is investing $2.9 million to design custom-made electrical stimulation technology and orthotic and prosthetic devices in Scio Township. The project is expected to create 614 jobs, including 108 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 506 indirect jobs.

• Dexter Research Center – The Dexter-based designer and manufacturer of infrared sensors for automotive, medical, aerospace and security applications is investing $2.9 million to upgrade its operations and expand into new markets. The project is expected to create 169 jobs, including 47 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 122 indirect jobs. Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a state tax credit valued at approximately $313,428 over seven years to help convince the company to expand in Michigan over competing sites in Ohio and Massachusetts. Webster Township will consider a tax abatement to support the project.

• Energetx Composites LLC – The manufacturer of composite components plans to invest $37 million to ramp up production in Holland of utility-scale wind turbine blades and other composite parts for the wind energy industry. The project will create 2,599 total jobs, including 1,068 directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 1,531 indirect jobs.

• RS Technologies Acquisition Corp. – The subsidiary of New York-based PCB Piezotronics, a high-tech manufacturing company, plans to invest $1.7 million to expand in order to provide a complete line of threaded fastener torque-tension systems at its operations in Farmington Hills. The project will create 228 total jobs, including 40 jobs directly by the company. The MEDC estimates the increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 188 indirect jobs.

• CertainTeed Ceilings Corporation – The manufacturer and global distributor of acoustical ceiling systems plans to invest $7.6 million to consolidate operations from Mississippi to its facility in L’Anse. The project will retain 271 Michigan jobs, including 109 directly at the company.

• Ralco Industries Inc. – The supplier of welded assemblies, metal stampings, design prototype and tooling for the automotive industry plans to invest $6.4 million to expand to a larger facility in Pontiac, which will serve as the company’s North American corporate and manufacturing headquarters. The project will create 375 total jobs, including 108 directly by the company. The project will also retain 50 jobs. The MEDC estimates that increased economic activity created by the project will create an additional 267 indirect jobs.

• Webasto Roof Systems Inc. – The largest North American supplier of sunroof and panorama roof systems plans to invest $3.6 million to consolidate operations in Rochester Hills. The project will create 208 Michigan jobs, including 61 directly by the company and retain 525 jobs, including 153 at the company.

• City of Bay City – State and local tax capture valued at $341,179 will support the redevelopment of a vacant site in downtown Bay City. The developer will build a 7,900 square-foot office building that will house the Social Security Administration. The project will generate $1.85 million in new capital investment and is expected to create up to 30 new jobs.

• City of Holland – State and local tax capture valued at $1.8 million will support the redevelopment of several sites on Lake Macatawa. The project will include the construction of 27 new residential town homes and a private marina. The project will generate $10 million in new capital investment and is expected to create up to 12 new jobs.

• Fab Masters Company Inc. – Based on the MEDC’s recommendation, the MEGA board today approved a Defense MBT tax credit to encourage the manufacturer of custom aluminum machined and fabricated parts for the defense, transportation and appliance industries to expand in Marcellus over competing sites in Nebraska, Tennessee and Ohio. The project is expected to generate $8.4 million in private investment and create up to 160 new jobs.

For a full list of the tax credits awarded, please see the press release from the MEDC.

For more information on the MEDC’s initiatives and programs, visit the Web site at www.TheMEDC.org.

Lt. Governor John Cherry delivers this week’s radio address, and today both he and Governor Granholm attended a celebration with Vice President Joe Biden of the nation’s 2,000th transportation project funded by the Recovery Act; a widening of I-94 near Kalamazoo. Michigan is receiving $1 billion in Recovery Act transportation funding, and that is expected to create 27,000 jobs.

Hello, this is Lt. Governor John Cherry.

On Monday, there will be more clanking and rumbling of bulldozers and road graders in Kalamazoo County. That’s the day construction is scheduled to begin on widening two miles of I-94 through Portage, including a new interchange at South Westnedge Avenue.

Kalamazoo area residents have long wanted the swath of I-94 that stretches across the county to be widened. The I-94 corridor is extremely important to the Michigan economy, and the section through Kalamazoo County now carries more vehicles per day than any other four-lane freeway in the state.

This particular phase of I-94’s widening is made possible by the federal Recovery Act, the historic legislation signed by President Obama to get our economy and our people working again. In fact, it’s the 2,000th transportation project funded by the Recovery Act.

That’s a milestone worth celebrating. So this morning, Governor Granholm and I welcomed Vice President Joe Biden to Kalamazoo and Michigan for a special I-94 groundbreaking, along with many other public officials and dignitaries.

The groundbreaking not only commemorated the 2,000th transportation project funded by the Recovery Act, it illustrated the real and positive impact that the Recovery Act is having on Michigan. This one construction project will create 1,200 jobs.

Michigan is receiving more than a billion dollars in Recovery Act transportation funding, creating 27,000 jobs. The funding is for hundreds of “shovel-ready” road and transit projects across the state, such as road resurfacing and widening, and bridge reconstruction.

And when I say “projects across the state,” I mean from Monroe to Marquette, from Port Huron to Muskegon, and all points between. Here are just a few examples:

Kent County will see a portion of I-196 reconstructed. In Genesee County, there’ll be road reconstruction and bridgework on I-475. Eleven bridges over I-96 in Detroit will be repaired, and U.S. 41 in Marquette County will see resurfacing and reconstruction. All together, more than 840 lane miles of Michigan pavement will be improved with Recovery Act funding.

Improving roads, highways and other parts of our transportation infrastructure is crucial to growing the Michigan economy. In addition to Recovery Act dollars, the state is spending another $980 million on transportation this year, creating 27,000 additional jobs.

As we continue to make Michigan a magnet for manufacturers of advanced batteries, wind turbines, solar panels and other green products, we must ensure we have an excellent infrastructure. Highway projects funded by the Recovery Act, like the widening of I-94 in Kalamazoo, are a good start.

Thank you for listening.

Also at today’s event, Vice President Biden announced that $2 billion in Recovery Act bonds will be available to Michigan communities. The story from the AP:

The Recovery Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law on Feb. 17, included $25 billion for two new types of “recovery zone” bonds, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The bonds will allow select counties and large municipalities to borrow at a lower cost than through traditional tax-exempt financing.

The bonds are intended to stimulate economic recovery and targeted at areas hit hard by job losses. They can be used for economic-development projects such as job training, educational programs and public infrastructure development.

“State budgets have been scaled back and local services cut at a time when they are most needed,” Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said in a written statement. “Turning things around requires innovative strategies, which is what the Recovery Act has provided in the form of the recovery zone bonds. The new financing tools provided by recovery zone bonds will help Michigan obtain the funds needed to revitalize our communities.”

Three Michigan government entities are among the top 10 recipients of the bonds. Oakland County will get $260 million worth, Wayne County $196 million and the city of Detroit $125 million.

“This is just one more example of how the Recovery Act is helping communities get through the very difficult days they’re in, and succeed tomorrow,” Biden said.

For more on the projects that are happening in Michigan, visit the Michigan Recovery and Reinvestment web page at http://www.michigan.gov/recovery.

Governor Granholm attended the grand opening of GM’s new advanced battery lab in Warren yesterday. The Global Battery Systems Battery Lab is the largest of its kind in the country, and one of the “largest and most capable battery test labs in the world”. WJBK Fox 2 from Detroit brings us the story:

General Motors is opening the biggest battery laboratory in the nation locally in Warren, and it could be the key to transforming Michigan’s economy.

CEO Fritz Henderson and Governor Jennifer Granholm rode in a battery powered Volt to celebrate the opening of GM’s new battery lab. The research at the Global Battery Systems lab is aimed at accelerating the testing of new energy storage systems to be used to power plug in electric vehicles.

The governor found her cruise smooth. “When she stepped on the accelerator, you noticed that… the low end torque and acceleration characteristics of the vehicle are just superb,” said Henderson.

This lab and the battery technology it is aimed at developing are important components in the quest to diversify Michigan’s economy.

“We’ve got more R&D here. We’ve got tremendous talent here. We have incentives that are second to none in terms of the state. We want to get our share of the federal stimulus dollar, but having a whole sector devoted to batteries means jobs and that’s really important to us, too,” said Granholm.

The GM release provides many details about the lab’s capabilities - be sure and check it out.

Planning began in December 2007 and construction started in August 2008. Operations began in January - nine months ahead of schedule. The lab became fully functional in May, equipped with 160 test channels and 42 thermal chambers duplicating extreme real-world driving patterns, hot and cold temperatures and calendar life. The lab’s maximum power capacity is 6 megawatts, or enough electricity to provide power to approximately 1,400 homes.

“This facility is state-of-the-art and represents one of the largest and most capable battery test labs in the world,” said Jim Queen, GM group vice president, Global Engineering. “More than half of the lab is dedicated to testing the electrochemical battery cells and their enclosures, known as modules, a capability not available in GM’s previous battery lab. The lab’s remaining floor space is committed to evaluating completed battery packs.”

The Global Battery Systems Lab was built within GM’s Alternative Energy Center facility, and includes many environmentally friendly features such as a center hallway with high-efficiency LED lighting and a floor made from recycled tires. Approximately 90 percent of the electricity used for battery testing can be returned to the local energy grid for use by homeowners and businesses.

Our state is aggressively pursuing the advanced battery market, offering extensive incentives to manufacturers to locate in Michigan. You can read about the original advanced battery legislation here, as well as a further expansion of the credits that was signed into law a few months ago here.

This week’s radio address addresses the restructuring of both GM and Chrysler, and looks to the future when both companies, along with the state of Michigan, will lead the nation in the transformation to a green economy.

Hello, this is Governor Jennifer Granholm.

It’s been a tough week for Michigan. General Motors filed for bankruptcy. Seven GM plants in Michigan will close or be idled, and thousands of workers will lose their jobs.

When companies in other states declare bankruptcy, it’s generally not headline news. It’s different for Michigan, because we’re so tightly bound to the auto industry. If we don’t work in the industry ourselves, we all have friends and family who do. For some families, generations have worked in the plants.

That’s what makes this so painful. An era is ending. While many people will continue working in GM plants building the next generation of vehicles, others will be leaving. And for them, we will help however we can, from extended unemployment benefits to job retraining.

Now we have to continue our ongoing efforts to shape a new future for Michigan, one in which we will use our manufacturing expertise to achieve a national goal of energy independence.

Five years ago, we began positioning Michigan to lead a green industrial revolution. We provided tax incentives and grants for making green products. We created venture capital for green start-up companies, and we restructured job training programs to give workers the skills for green jobs.

Manufacturers of green products like wind turbines or advanced batteries can find everything they need in Michigan: technological know-how, factory space, skilled workers, transportation systems, and great universities.

Today, wind turbines are manufactured mostly in Europe. We intend and we expect to make them in Michigan. Today, the advanced batteries used in electric and hybrid vehicles are made in Asia. We intend to manufacture them here and make Michigan the advanced battery capital of the world.

In fact, on Monday, General Motors will unveil a new battery lab at its tech center, the largest automotive battery lab in the country. And this leads to an important point about the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies.

In bankruptcy, General Motors is being restructured, not liquidated. There would be no new GM battery lab with liquidation. And as we also saw this week, Chrysler is being restructured, not liquidated. The Obama administration supported restructuring GM and Chrysler into viable companies, because it understands the United States needs a strong automotive industry and a manufacturing sector.

These are tough times for Michigan, but we’re pretty tough ourselves. GM and Chrysler will emerge from bankruptcy as stronger companies, and the Big 3 will play indispensable roles in our nation’s journey to energy independence. It’s a time of national transformation to a green economy, and Michigan is ready to lead.

Thank you for listening.