Coming on the heels of Congress’s recent one-year extension of the production tax credit (PTC) to support renewable energy, a flurry of announcements of new U.S. wind manufacturing facilities show wind power continuing to provide a critically important stimulus to the faltering U.S. economy.
In the last month, several manufacturers have announced new landmarks in their U.S.-based operations:
Little Rock, Arkansas: Polymarin Composites and Wind Water Technologies (WWT) announced October 8 that they will invest $20 million to transform the former Levi Building into a combined wind turbine blade and nacelle manufacturing facility, creating 830 new wind jobs with an average wage of $15/hour.
Muncie, Indiana: Brevini USA, the U.S. subsidiary of an Italian wind turbine manufacturer announced this week plans for a new facility to make gearboxes. Brevini will invest more than $60 million to retrofit an existing 60,000-square-foot building and add 150,000 square-feet of manufacturing space at the site in 2010. The facility will create about 450 permanent local jobs with annual pay averaging more than $46,000.
Faribault, Minnesota: Moventas, a Finland-based gearbox manufacturer, will build a 75,000-square-foot North American assembly and distribution facility using the Faribault-based Met-Con construction company. The plant, announced by Moventas in September, is set to open in October 2009 with 90 workers. Employment is expected to swell to 335 by adding 30 employees each year through 2023.
Newton, Iowa: TPI Composites opened its 316,000-square-foot wind turbine blade manufacturing facility in September. The newly-built plant replaces a former Maytag facility that was closed in 2006, causing huge job losses in Newton. At full capacity, TPI Iowa plans to employ 500 Iowans.
"Even in this time of economic uncertainty, America’s wind industry continues to invest in our economy, building new factories and wind farms across the country, and creating thousands of wind jobs," American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Executive Director Randall Swisher said. "But if we are to keep this momentum going, we will need the new President and Congress to make a long-term commitment to growing renewable energy in the United States, at last allowing the wind industry to escape the uncertainties of a tax credit that is extended one year at a time."
The recent PTC extension will help keep economic conditions favorable for wind projects for the short term, Swisher said. He added that the wind industry will be seeking longer term policies in 2009 to promote wind and other renewable energy sources.
"We will be working with the new Congress and President next year to help shape policies that promote renewable energy to meet our economic, national security, and environmental challenges," he said.
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