“It is a great honor to host President Obama at our historic Schenectady facility,” said GE CEO Jeff Immelt. “Our investments and commitment to innovation drive everything we do. The work done in Schenectady and across the Capital Region is key to our continued business success, enabling us to make a significant contribution to America’s manufacturing 
growth.” The Schenectady facility is the birthplace of GE and home to GE Energy’s Power & Water division, which develops and manufactures steam turbines, generators, wind turbines and solar technology. It also is the future home of GE’s advanced battery manufacturing facility. The Schenectady campus employs approximately 4,000 people who develop and manufacture the GE power generation technologies that are helping to provide more than a quarter of the world’s electricity.
The presidential visit highlights the company’s history of innovation in the Capital Region, which traces back to 1887 when Thomas Edison moved his Edison Machine Works to Schenectady, forming the General Electric Company in 1892. GE today is the nation’s second largest exporter and employs 300,000 employees world-wide, operating locally in more than 100 countries.
While touring the facility, Immelt also spoke to the president about GE’s commitment to America’s clean energy future. GE is one of the leading providers of renewable energy equipment in the world, with more than 14,500 wind turbines installed in more than 21 countries providing enough power to operate more than 7.25 million homes. GE recently opened its global renewable energy headquarters on the Schenectady campus. Through its ecomagination campaign, the company has approved more than 100 products and services across its broad portfolio of energy, aviation and transportation solutions.