Iowa loses 400 more wind energy jobs - KWWL.com

Iowa loses 400 more wind energy jobs

Iowa loses 400 more wind energy jobs

Posted:
Written by Dan Schillinger, News Director - email
DES MOINES (KWWL) -

A wind energy equipment manufacturer says it will lay off 615 workers in Iowa, Kansas and Florida in part because Congress has not renewed a tax credit for wind energy.

Siemens Energy Inc. says it told workers the news Tuesday at plants in Fort Madison, Iowa, Hutchinson, Kansas, and Orlando, Florida.

The biggest cuts will come in Fort Madison, where 407 workers at a wind turbine blade factory will be out of work. About 220 workers there will be retained.

The company blamed difficult market conditions due to lack of congressional action on a wind energy tax credit as well as increased use of natural gas-fired power plants and an overall sluggish economy.

In a statement, Siemens says the industry is seeing a significant drop in new wind turbine orders.

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