(Newsworthy.news) – As Western leaders continue to plow forward with “green” initiatives to combat global warming, the state of Michigan is cooperating with a Chinese energy firm that is preparing to set up a battery plant for electric vehicles.
Gotion Inc. reportedly began chopping down trees in the Wolverine State this month, a move which has the support of the state government and its Democratic leadership, which dominates both chambers of the legislature as well as the governor, secretary of state and attorney general offices.
The project is taking place in Michigan’s Mecosta County despite opposition from Republicans and experts who warn that the company’s work could threaten national security. Gotion Inc. is part of the Chinese-based tech corporation Hefei.
Chuck Thelen, the firm’s North American operations vice president, described those voicing concern about the project as members of “extremist groups” that have “targeted” the county’s businesses. He said that companies willing to work with Gotion Inc. would be collaborating to “strengthen jobs” in the area.
Thelen also specified that the “legal selective cutting” began on Wednesday February 14. The project will impact roughly 120 acres, according to Gotion’s spokesman John Whetstone. The company is planning to completely clear land where buildings are supposed to be erected and only selectively chop down trees in the remaining space.
Gotion’s electric vehicle plant project is going to cost $2.36 billion. The partnership between the Chinese firm and the Michigan state government was initiated in August 2023, when the company bought 270 acres and settled on a development agreement with local leadership.
The project has been endorsed by the state’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her staff, who set aside millions of dollars to fund the project with taxpayer money. However, Gotion is believed to have connections with the Chinese Communist Party, sparking concerns about national security.
The firm has faced backlash for its growing number of taxpayer-funded projects in the United States, including one launched in September 2023 in Manteno, Illinois, which will produce lithium batteries.
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