Hundreds of workers in our region
are losing their jobs as wind turbine manufacturers cut production.
The federal tax credit that subsidizes wind energy is set to expire at the end of the year, and political uncertainty is putting the brakes on the wind industry. More than 500 workers are losing their jobs in the Red River Valley.
By the end of November, 345 workers who make wind turbine blades at a Grand Forks, N.D. factory will be out of work.
Bill Burga, who heads manufacturing in North and South America for LM Wind Power, the Denmark-based company that operates a turbine blade plant in Grand Forks, said orders for next year have dried up because no one is sure if Congress will renew the wind energy tax credit.
The company had no choice but to downsize a highly skilled workforce, he said.
"This is not good. This is not a happy experience for us. Not a happy experience for our people," Burga said. "When you take it down like this, it's like stopping and starting a freight train. It can take a long time to wind it down and a very, very long time to bring it back up."
Congress could act to extend the wind production tax credit before it expires in January. But even if that happens, Burga said it will take at least six months for the industry to get back up to speed. Some companies probably won't survive the slowdown, he said.
"In fact, I've got companies calling me that deal in used equipment that are seizing on this opportunity. I'm quietly telling them it's not time," Burga said. "We have no intention of giving up any of our assets. We're going to wait for the market to crawl back and we're going to be there."
Read more: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/11/06/business/wind-manufacturer-layoff/
The federal tax credit that subsidizes wind energy is set to expire at the end of the year, and political uncertainty is putting the brakes on the wind industry. More than 500 workers are losing their jobs in the Red River Valley.
By the end of November, 345 workers who make wind turbine blades at a Grand Forks, N.D. factory will be out of work.
Bill Burga, who heads manufacturing in North and South America for LM Wind Power, the Denmark-based company that operates a turbine blade plant in Grand Forks, said orders for next year have dried up because no one is sure if Congress will renew the wind energy tax credit.
The company had no choice but to downsize a highly skilled workforce, he said.
"This is not good. This is not a happy experience for us. Not a happy experience for our people," Burga said. "When you take it down like this, it's like stopping and starting a freight train. It can take a long time to wind it down and a very, very long time to bring it back up."
Congress could act to extend the wind production tax credit before it expires in January. But even if that happens, Burga said it will take at least six months for the industry to get back up to speed. Some companies probably won't survive the slowdown, he said.
"In fact, I've got companies calling me that deal in used equipment that are seizing on this opportunity. I'm quietly telling them it's not time," Burga said. "We have no intention of giving up any of our assets. We're going to wait for the market to crawl back and we're going to be there."
Read more: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/11/06/business/wind-manufacturer-layoff/
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