By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-853371.mp3
Schenectady, NY – "Green Technology" will soon bring hundreds of jobs and new life to an old upstate New York city. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
It's "the electric city" reborn: Efforts to bring a General Electric battery manufacturing plant to the city have come to fruition. The market opportunities for this new business are significant, says Chris Horne, GE Energy's manager of communications and public affairs. The $100 million battery factory will bring upwards of 350 jobs and represents the largest single investment ever made in Schenectady County.
Batteries manufactured in Schenectady are expected to generate 900 Megawatt-hours of energy a year. That's enough power required for 45,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. New York state committed $15 million to the project when plans for the facility were first announced in May. GE applied but was turned down for federal stimulus money. The plant is scheduled to open in 2011.