It has been reported that U. S. Vice President Joe Biden broke ground on Monday on a Midland, Mich., battery plant expected to employ 720 people when completed.

The Detroit Free Press reported on Monday that the Dow Kokam lithium-ion battery plant, expected to be completed in 2015, is one of several planned in Michigan, and among several receiving $2.4 billion in federal grants.

Biden said while chatting with construction workers hired to build the plant, "This is the beginning of a revolution in the production of energy in the country."

According to the Detroit News, the groundbreaking in Midland is the first stop in a six-week U. S. tour during which Biden will promote the administration's $800 billion federal stimulus package.

The Free Press has said that the plant is expected to build battery cells and packs for as many as 30,000 all-electric or 60,000 hybrid vehicles a year.

Dow Chemical Chief Executive Officer Andrew Liveris said, "We're rebuilding Michigan's economy. We're rebuilding America's manufacturing base. We're helping to redefine what it means to be made in America." (With Inputs from Agencies)