Sep. 23, 2009 (PR Newswire) --
NEW CASTLE, Pa., Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Axion Power International Inc (OTC Bulletin Board: AXPW), a leading developer of advanced lead-carbon PbC(R) batteries, today announced that Chairman and CEO Tom Granville will participate in a panel discussion hosted by Larry Schweiger, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. The panel, which includes U.S. Representative Mike Doyle, 14th District, Pennsylvania; Kathleen McGinty, principal in Peregrine Technology Partners and former Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania and Michael Peck, president of Gamesa, will discuss, how Pittsburgh has become, and can continue to be, a national leader in renewable energy. The event will begin at 8:00 AM on Thursday, Sept. 24 at the G20 Media Center, August Wilson Center located at 980 Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh.
"Pennsylvania in general, and Western Pennsylvania in particular, have been stalwart in their emphasis and development of a green energy sector. The Commonwealth, through governor Rendell's administrative team, has been a great partner to our development," Granville said. "Axion Power purchased the assets and re-commissioned a mothballed lead-acid battery plant in New Castle and we transitioned our entire operation down from Canada. We found a willing work force and a supportive government, so we are extremely happy we are now operating in Pennsylvania. This year, we signed a four-year global supply agreement with Exide Technologies (NASDAQ: XIDE) for the purchase of our PbC(R) proprietary batteries and other Axion Technology(TM). With that contract, and an emerging European hybrid electric vehicle market that our product is perfectly suited for in terms of both performance and economics, we are poised to dramatically expand our work force here in Western Pennsylvania. There will be challenges of course, but with the continued assistance and cooperation of our partners in and out of government, Axion can serve as a prime example of how the Pittsburgh economy can benefit from what we refer to as the "circle of green."
Mr. Granville will speak about the continued need for reducing CO2 emissions; how the European automotive OEMs will provide a solution for that reduction and how that solution can/will be brought to the U.S. in part because Axion Power has the disruptive technology to make this happen. Axion's proprietary PbC batteries provide higher power and more efficient delivery of that power. The batteries last longer, (3 to 4 times longer in some applications), recharge faster (more than 10 times faster in some applications) and have a much higher charge acceptance rate, when compared to other advanced lead acid batteries. On a cost per cycle basis, the PbC battery has no peer.
