Two years ago, when President Obama visited the LG Chem battery plant in Holland, it was hailed as part of the transformation of Michigan to a “green economy.”

The battery plant, which supplies batteries for the Chevy Volt, got $151 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Today, $133 million of that $151 million has been spent, but since April, the company's 200 workers have been on "rolling furloughs" because the electric vehicle market has failed to blossom as promised by many.

In 2010, the plant was projected to create 443 new jobs within five years. Those projections have been shelved as the company says it can't predict when the furloughs will stop for its current employees.

"Ultimately, market conditions and demand for lithium-ion batteries are going to determine when the company is going to be able to launch production and grow," said LG Chem Spokesman Randy Boileau. "The company has said the Holland facility will play an important role in its global strategy for the batteries."

The Holland battery plant was one of two high-profile green projects heavily subsidized by the government that drew presidential attention, but now are struggling.

A123 Systems, which has a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in Livonia, received $249.1 million in federal government money. It laid off employees and its future was in doubt until China recently invested $465 million in the company.

The electric vehicle market in the U.S. has not taken off as some have hoped.

GM has sold 13,497 Chevy Volt s through August this year, or about .001 percent of the total 9.7 million cars and light trucks sold in the first nine months of 2012, according to Autodata Corp. GM sold 2,831 Volts in August of 2012, up from 302 sold in August of 2011.

"Michigan and the federal government deemed that electric car batteries were the future and spent hundreds of millions of tax dollars trying to make it so," said James Hohman, a fiscal policy analyst with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. "Policymakers shouldn't waste taxpayer dollars on the industry du jour; they should level the playing field."

The Holland battery plant also was approved for up to $100 million in state tax credits.

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See also:

Michigan Taxpayers Writing Check to Second Electric Car Battery Maker for $100 Million

Cost to Revive Economy With Battery Plant Subsidies: $5 Trillion

Video Shows President Obama, Top Politicians Praising Failed Green Company

Subsidized Green Energy Company Struggles, Lays Off Workers — Rewards Top Executives

Green Eyeshadow On Red Ink: 'Green' Jobs Fail To Live Up To the Hype

Chevy Volt Costing Taxpayers Up to $250K Per Vehicle

Rosy Solar Jobs Projections Fail To Live Up To the Hype

Trash Collectors Equal 'Green' Jobs? President's Campaign Ad Claims 'Green Energy' Job Growth From Criticized Study

Sun Not Shining on State Solar Subsidies

It's Not Easy Subsidizing Green

U.S. Representative Dale Kildee was among the worst 22 politicians in the U.S. Congress in 2011 when it came to looking out for taxpayers, according to a national tax watchdog group.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) released its 2011 Congressional Ratings, which looked at the voting records of all 535 members of Congress. The CCAGW says its ratings expose members of Congress who consistently voted against the fiscal interest of taxpayers.

Rep. Kildee, D-Flint, was the lowest-rated Michigan member in Congress with a score of 5 percent. That put him in a group labeled as "hostile" to taxpayer interests with U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida, who also serves as chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

Kildee Spokesman Peter Karafotas didn't respond to a request for comment.

Michigan Congressman Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, received a 94 percent rating, making him the highest-rated Michigan politician currently in office. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also was rated at 94 percent. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, received a 98 percent score. Only Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., received 100 percent scores.

Rep. Kildee’s 5 percent rating was his highest since 2006. In 2006, Rep. Kildee received a 0 percent rating and got 0 percent again in 2009. Rep. Kildee's highest rating of 55 percent was in 1993, but he has been in single digits since 2004.