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Iowa
A blade on a wind turbine broke loose and landed in a field in Adair, Iowa. KCCI reports officials said they are still trying to figure out what went wrong. The turbine manufacturer is leading an investigation into the accident.
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Safety|
Structural Failure]
These are unstable times for wind energy plants. Acciona in West Branch is laying off 40 workers, just months after White House officials had visited the plant to push for wind energy tax credits.
Even though the credit has been extended a year, there's still uncertainty in the workforce.
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General]
Monday marked the second major round of layoffs at the West Branch facility in its six-year history. In 2009, Acciona laid off 58 employees, which was a third of its West Branch workforce. At the time, company officials called it a "short-term issue" due to the sluggish economy, but most or all of those positions never came back.
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General]
"U.S. wind development declined sharply over the past year for reasons beyond our control," ACCIONA Windpower said. "The reduction in our work force is necessary to meet the current volume of production while we work to complete new turbine supply agreements."
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General]
The giant producer of windmill blades cited record low natural gas prices, the impact of the recession and the reluctance by the U.S. Congress to enact legislation regarding production tax credit for new wind turbine installations. New orders had fallen off, causing the company to adjust manufacturing, projects and administrative support functions of the wind power production business.
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Impact on Economy]
Giant windmill tower falls off truck
December 6, 2012 by Jenn Rourke & Ty Milburn in Today's TMJ TV4
December 6, 2012 by Jenn Rourke & Ty Milburn in Today's TMJ TV4
Tina Sapp works at Nino's Bakery right on Main St. and said she watched it all happen. She said she immediately feared for her own safety.
"As soon as it fell, we were like, 'What if it rolls this way?' That's all we kept thinking," she said.
Customer seeking to freeze Clipper Windpower assets, including Cedar Rapids factory
November 2, 2012 in The Gazette
November 2, 2012 in The Gazette
Wind project developer and owner First Wind Energy LLC said Clipper accepted $59.5 million in advance payments for wind turbines it no longer produces in the lawsuit filed last month in Linn District Court in Cedar Rapids. ...First Wind is seeking a writ of attachment on Clipper's Iowa assets because it is worried Clipper will dispose of them, making it impossible for First Wind to collect any award it receives in arbitration.
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.
Siemens laying off half its work force in Hutchinson
September 18, 2012 by Emily Behlmann in Wichita Business Journal
September 18, 2012 by Emily Behlmann in Wichita Business Journal
Siemens, a German conglomerate, announced Tuesday it is laying off 146 employees at its wind turbine nacelle plant in Hutchinson, leaving just 152 employees there.
All told, 615 employees in Siemens' wind power business will lose their jobs. Siemens said the change would primarily affect employees in Iowa, Kansas and Florida.
Clipper Windpower laying off 174 people companywide
August 20, 2012 by Dave Dewitt and Dave Franzman in KCRG.com
August 20, 2012 by Dave Dewitt and Dave Franzman in KCRG.com
Most of Clipper's employees - and layoffs - are believed to be in Cedar Rapids, where the company manufactures its Liberty wind turbines. The company declined to provide numbers specific to each of its locations. ...Layoffs have mounted in the wind industry even though there are still four months to go before the credit expires.
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General]
The company removed one turbine from the property and Stineman said he believed it was installed near Gladbrook.
However, the company dissolved before the second turbine could be dismantled and the crane company later assumed ownership.
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General]
Latham talked with Romney about wind production tax credit
August 8, 2012 by O. Kay Henderson in Radio Iowa
August 8, 2012 by O. Kay Henderson in Radio Iowa
Congressman Tom Latham says he has talked privately with fellow Republican Mitt Romney about a key tax break for the wind industry, but Latham says Romney is standing by his opposition to extending the wind production tax credit.
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Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
Construction begins on Iowa project featuring 100-meter concrete tower
July 25, 2012 in North American Windpower
July 25, 2012 in North American Windpower
According to ACCIONA, the 6 MW Pioneer Grove wind farm will feature two 3 MW AW3000 wind turbines. The erection of the first 100-meter concrete tower, which includes five sections, is expected by mid-October.
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General]
No movement likely on wind project until post-election
July 23, 2012 by Magdalene Landegent in Le Mars Daily Sentinel
July 23, 2012 by Magdalene Landegent in Le Mars Daily Sentinel
In the fall of 2010, Horizon installed several wind measuring towers to test two possible locations for wind farms in Plymouth County. ...In January EDP announced that the project has been put on hold due to poor market conditions. "It's not a priority project at this point."
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General]
The wind turbine that helps to power the electricity for the Clay Central-Everly school district needs repair. Right now, the turbine is running at a reduced capacity ...The cost of the repairs is approximately $26,000, and the board is concerned that the output, once fixed, won't save the district enough electricity to offset the overall cost.
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Safety|
Structural Failure]
Romney favors end to tax credit for wind
July 16, 2012 by Adam B Sullivan in Iowa City Press-Citizen
July 16, 2012 by Adam B Sullivan in Iowa City Press-Citizen
Despite Iowa's stake in wind and Romney's apparent emphasis on winning the swing state, the GOP candidate has shown little love for the industry.
Literature from the Romney campaign calls wind energy "sharply uncompetitive" and said the industry "seems to be operating more on faith than on fact-based economic calculation."
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
Pearson to challenge city's wind turbine decision
July 11, 2012 by Lee Hermiston in Iowa City Press-Citizen
July 11, 2012 by Lee Hermiston in Iowa City Press-Citizen
"The structure would be quite noticeable," he said. "There needs to be a public vetting of whether it's appropriate to have that as an accessory use."
Rather than have the Board of Adjustment overturn his decision, Boothroy said the "proper thing to do" would be changing the code, if that is what the public wants.
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General]
Iowa Supreme Court backs wind expansion; MidAmerican can continue a project approved in 2009
June 8, 2012 by Ryan J. Foley in Des Moines Register
June 8, 2012 by Ryan J. Foley in Des Moines Register
The decision means MidAmerican can continue its ongoing expansion approved by regulators in 2009, which allowed the firm to add 1001 megawatts and allow the company to pass certain costs to customers in a rate increase ...It also means that MidAmerican does not have to buy wind power from NextEra, which the Florida company had proposed as an alternative.
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General]
The wind turbine is part of the Barton II wind farm owned by Iberdrola Renewables is on land southeast of Bolan in Worth County.
Jan Johnson of Iberdrola said the fire occurred in the nacelle, the portion of the turbine that houses all of its component parts. She could not give an estimate of damage.
Also filed under [
Safety|
Structural Failure]
A wind turbine near Grafton caught fire Tuesday afternoon.
The flames were pretty strong for a while as the smoke streamed from the tower.
Fire crews didn't get too close at first because of burning debris falling down.
Also filed under [
Safety|
Structural Failure]
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