Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has decided to build what will be the largest wind-tower manufacturing facility in the world later this year in Pueblo, CO. When fully operational, the plant will produce 900 towers per year. Located 120 miles south of Denver, the Pueblo plant will join a blade-manufacturing facility in Windsor and another blade and nacelles (the energy-generating parts of the turbine) facility in Brighton as the third Vestas plant in Colorado. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter said the plants will result in “$700 million in capital investment in the state” and provide “important economic reinforcement to Colorado.”

Encouraged by high oil prices last year and hopeful stimulus money this year, the wind industry continues to expand, with plants now scheduled for states such as Iowa, Arkansas, Indiana, and Minnesota. See the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) homepage for more details.

The New York Times quotes Vestas spokesman Roby Roberts as saying, “Colorado is a natural fit for a wind energy company because of its central location, proximity to transit links, qualified workforce and a supportive regulatory regime.” 

Other takeaways from the article include:

• Colorado ranks eighth nationally in wind capacity and has an estimated 122 gigawatts of potential in solar and wind energy
• According to the Department of Energy (DOE), $60 billion must be invested in the nation’s transmission lines in order for renewables to meet the federal target of providing 20 percent of the Unites States’ energy by 2030
• Building a domestic supply chain for the 8,000 or so precision parts used in wind turbines – bolts, ball bearings and gears – is also vital to a fully mature and sustainable American wind industry
• Department of Energy estimates the wind industry could employ as many as 180,000 workers by 2030

As mentioned in past posts, using whatever renewable energy is locally available makes great sense. With America’s diverse and vast geography, regions can take advantage of their own plentiful renewable resources be they sun, wind, geothermal, biomass or even tidal currents as in New York City. As each region ramps up and plugs in, the entire gird becomes greener over time.

- Justin Manger