More details released on stimulus investment at GE

A few weeks ago, Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced millions in stimulus funds would be invested at the GE Research center in Niskayuna for research in renewable energy. Since then, GE has also announced it will build a Capital Region facility to manufacture batteries.

GE will receive between $2 to $5 million a year from the $777 million set aside in the stimulus package for alternative energy research. GE is also the only corporate research center to receive these funds, a major economic development win for Schenectady County.

It is important to remember that GE could have put these jobs anywhere in the world but is continuing their investment in the Capital Region and Schenectady County particularly. Even GE executives credit the new Democratic Majority's commitment to economic growth for their decision to invest here. The Daily Gazette on February 22, 2009 quoted Jan Smith, spokeswoman for GE Energy, as saying "When the new group came in, they said we should have a climate for change. There has been an effort on [their part] to work with us and us with them." The article further stated "Smith credited the changed environment with GE's decision to locate 500 jobs related to solar and wind power generation." Now that investment continues with two more major GE announcements only weeks apart.

Schenectady County is winning again thanks to strong Democratic leadership.

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