|
Scottsdale, Ariz. — TPI Composites Inc. has officially opened its 316,000-square-foot wind turbine blade facility in Newton, Iowa. The newly-built plant will manufacture high-performance wind turbine blades for distribution to the U.S. wind energy market.
At full capacity, TPI Iowa plans to employ 500 associates, making it a significant
provider of "green" jobs. Today, Newton boasts two wind energy firms, and Iowa is one of the leading wind producing states in the country, according to TPI.
According to the American Wind Energy Association, the U.S. wind industry has passed the 20,000-megawatt (MW) installed capacity milestone, achieving in two years what had previously taken more than two decades. The 10,000-MW mark was reached in 2006. Wind now provides enough electricity to serve 5.3 million American homes or power a fleet of more than 1 million plug-in hybrid vehicles.
A U.S. Department of Energy study released in May found that wind could provide 20 percent of U.S. electricity by 2030. At that level, wind power would support 500,000 jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 140 million vehicles off the road.
The Iowa plant joins TPI's other production facilities in Warren, Rhode Island; Springfield, Ohio; Juarez, Mexico; and Taicang, China.
|
