LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – On Friday afternoon the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) responded to the approval by the Senate Appropriations Committee granting a transfer of $175 million for funding to the Gotion EV Battery power plant in Big Rapids. 

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Quentin L. Messer, Jr. issued the following statement expressing his appreciation for the green light from the Legislature. 

“We appreciate the support of our legislative partners,” he said in a statement, “Team Michigan is excited for the opportunities that these good-paying jobs, new customers and increased economic vitality accompanying this historic investment will deliver in Mecosta County and across Northern Michigan.”

The project will be within Mecosta County, which includes Ferris State University; the university president, Dr. Bill Pink, also issued a statement. 

“As always, Ferris State University has been proud to partner with business and industry to provide for their needs, and in the process, pave great pathways for our students to living wage career paths,” he said in a statement. “The electric vehicle battery manufacturing industry is no exception, and we will continue to partner with companies like Gotion who are doing this work in order to keep Michigan at the forefront of the automobile industry, and our education as relevant as possible. We’ve done it for over 135 years, and will continue to do so. We will continue to leverage Ferris’ quality of instruction and resources to power Michigan’s role in the EV sector into the future.”

The funding was approved  on Thursday during a committee meeting by the narrowest vote that she’s seen while on the Senate Appropriations according to Senator Lana Theis (R-Brighton) who was one of the nine members to vote against the funding transfer. 

“The Gotion plant is set to be built near the Muskegon River — the plan has yet to receive the environmental impact study and/or approval necessary for such a project,” Senator Theis said in a statement, “Neither Gotion nor economic development officials have addressed any questions or concerns about its plans for this plant or track record on existing plants in terms of environmental impact. We don’t know how much water it will use, whether it would be recycled before being dumped back into state waterways, how much energy would be consumed, or how it could mitigate, contain and expunge a fire.” 

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Other concerns for the expansion of the Gotion project pertain to national security concerns regarding potential influences by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and a recent possible link to the terrorist group, the Taliban.  

“If we pursue economic development projects here in Michigan, there should be a rigorous vetting process, it should not only consider national security concerns, but things like the environmental concerns,” Senator Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater) said, “It should of course begin with the question, is this a good deal for the people of Michigan?”