The name Ener1 may not be familiar to you.
But the company does have some of your money.
Indiana-based Ener1 is one of the major players in the new advanced battery economy that we reported on back in October. Advanced battery manufacturing has received well over a billion dollars in federal, state and local investment. The biggest chunk for Ener1 came in the form of a $118.5 million grant as part of the Obama administration’s stimulus program (the company was called EnerDel at the time).
Not surprisingly, Ener1’s bankruptcy has led to some vigorous finger-pointing in Washington.
But what will the bankruptcy mean for the battery industry in the Midwest, and the jobs it created?