Obama to attend LG Chem groundbreaking

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama will travel to Michigan Thursday for the groundbreaking of a plant that will produce batteries for electric vehicles.

An administration official says Obama will attend the event at the LG Chem factory in Holland, Mich. Partial funding for the plant came from a federal program to boost the production of electric vehicles.

Work has already started on the LG Chem site at East 48th near Waverly, but the official groundbreaking will happen with the President of the United States in attendance.

Obama has called for an increase in electric vehicle production as part of his clean energy agenda. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the trip has not been officially announced.

Holland's mayor, Kurt Dykstra, said the first he heard about the possibility of a presidential visit was about a week ago when the Secret Service called.

24 Hour News 8's Henry Erb contributed to this report.