(This editorial appears in the AnnArbor.com newspaper published today and reflects the view of the editorial board.)

At any time, and particularly in these harsh economic times, there is no way to underestimate the significance of the more than $250 million in federal grants for battery research awarded to the University of Michigan and a firm with Ann Arbor ties last week.

This is huge.

The cash infusion coming to U-M and to A123Systems, a Massachusetts firm with a research operation in Ann Arbor, is more than a boost for the local economy.

It’s an affirmation that our community is emerging as a center of research on lithium-ion batteries - a technology that could power the future of the automobile industry.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced that U-M will get $2.5 million for “education and workforce training’’ related to battery technology.

U-M was a strong candidate for the funding, given its development work on lithium-ion batteries that goes back well over a decade.

The university was beginning to hone its expertise well before the auto industry or society even began to understand potential demand for battery-powered cars . Now, it’s a clear leader in that area, and this funding will not only help create a local workforce that will make it easier to attract related businesses, but also allow U-M to accelerate research that could spin off into more private-sector jobs.

Ann Arbor also is a big winner in the whopping $249.1 million grant to A123Systems, which is working with Chrysler to make lithium-ion batteries for electric cars. The firm’s research arm in Ann Arbor played a critical role in the work that helped it secure the grant.

The U.S. auto industry - desperately in need of reinventing itself - has a lot riding on its ability to give consumers a reliable, affordable electric car. Additional research is needed to make lithium-ion batteries that are lighter, more durable and less expensive.

Ann Arbor already has established itself as the cradle of that research here in the United States, and now is positioned to play an ever more important role in the development of battery technology that could help revive the auto industry and the Michigan economy. That’s powerful stuff, indeed.