* Extension comes as A123 faces financial setbacks * Co. has until Dec. 2014 to fully use $249 mln US grant * A123 spokesman says extension is "very positive" DETROIT, April 11 (Reuters) - A123 Systems Inc has been given two more years to fully tap a $249 million grant from the Obama administration to encourage advanced battery development and create jobs in the United States. The lithium-ion battery maker now has until December 2014 to use the U.S. Department of Energy grant earmarked to build an A123 battery factory in Michigan. The DOE and A123 agreed to extend the contract last week, A123 said in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Wednesday. A123 won the grant in 2009 and had until the end of this year to tap the grant in full. "We see this as very positive because it allows us to continue on our growth path in Michigan," A123 spokesman Dan Borgasano said.
