This paper describes the design, simulation and characterization of an AA size electromagnetic energy harvester that is capable of converting environmental vibration into electrical energy. A magnetic spring technique is used to scavenge energy from low frequency external vibrations. The generator is characterized by ANSYS 2D finite element analysis, and optimized in terms of moving mass, fixed magnet size, coil width and load resistance. The optimized energy harvester is able to generate 53.5 mW of average power at 8.1 Hz resonance frequency, with a displacement of 0.5 mm.