Electric Car Subsidy Bill Passes State Senate, House

State Reps. Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield) and Gail Haines (R-Waterford) were part of a majority House vote Thursday in support of a Senate bill to provide a $50 million subsidy to benefit the Ford Motors Wixom plant.

Senate bill 855, introduced by State Sen. Mike Kowall (R-White Lake) was passed 82-24 in the House. A revised bill with amendments was passed 35-3 that same day. The subsidy to Maryland-based investment firm Townsend Ventures will go to outfitting the closed facility with systems necessary to produce electric car batteries.

The subsidy will create 875 direct jobs by 2016, according to materials supplied to the Senate Committee for Economic Development. Those workers will create power stations that can charge electric vehicles. Townsend would purchase power during off-peak times at a discount, then store the electricity and sell it through the power stations at a premium.

"This is good for our community and our state; because it says in clear terms that Michigan is the place for new technologies and the jobs they create. This will bring in new revenue and encourage workers to train and retrain for these new technology jobs," Brown said in a press release issued Friday.

The bill will go to Gov. Rick Snyder for approval, however the date is unknown at this time.