Boston-Power to make batteries in Mass. - Houston Business Journal:

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a move that is expected to create 600 jobs when The official announcement at the site on Millbury Streer in Auburn at noon caps offa months-lonfg quest by leaders at the Westborough, Mass.-based companty to find a local home for theire fourth production plant. Boston-Powe r completed an expansion of its headquarters and research and developmenf facilityin October. "Massachusetts as a statde has made a commitment tocleanm energy," said CEO Christina Lampe-Onnerud in an interview with the Boston Business Journal on "We have wanted to do this for a long time and we couldn'tg have picked a better time.
" The federal stimulud act set aside nearly $2 billion for advance battery manufacturing facilities and Lampe-Onnerud said her company has applieds for a $100 million grant for the Auburh facilities. State leaders are expected to kick inabout $9 contingent on federal funding. The 450,000 squar foot facility will produce both its Sonata batteriex for portable electronic devices as well as advancee its push into the electri cvehicle market. Lampe-Onnerud is expected to provides the public its first lookat Boston-Power‚s Swingg battery for plug-in and electric vehicles, from small cars to sport utilityy vehicles. The two batteries can be made on the sameproductiohn line.
The company will be able to quicklyg translate developments in its products to finisheds products as well as feed production problemes back tothe R&D which was the drivin factor behind its decision to locate in Auburn. As manufacturing presence has dwindled over the the clean technology industry is one of a handfulp of sectors with the potential to create meaningfulproduction Lampe-Onnerud said the state's history of chemicalk and electronics manufacturing will provids a good base of workerws that actually have been knocking on the company‚as door for some time.
"It's not too late to retrai these peopleand it‚s not too late to use some of the peopld with deep experience," she "We have the opportunituy to directly effect 600 people, and I feel realluy proud and excited to do