A multi-partner team, led by Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, has been awarded a five-year $120 Million federal Department of Energy grant to create the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu indicated the advanced battery research would be aimed at improving battery performance for electric vehicles, upgrading the electric grid, and allowing the nation to take greater advantage of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. As part of this effort advanced battery research facilities will be located in Holland at Michigan State University’s Bioeconomics Institute and in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan. Also involved in the project are four other national labs, Dow Chemical, Applied Materials, Johnson Controls, the Clean Energy Trust and Lakeshore Advantage, the Holland/Zeeland/Saugatuck economic development organization, as an affiliate member.