Nordic Windpower Selects Pocatello for U.S. Turbine Plant Site
BERKELEY, CA and POCATELLO, Idaho, March 10 /PRNewswire/ — Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and Roger W. Chase, Mayor of the City of Pocatello, announced today that Nordic Windpower, Ltd. www.NordicWindpower.com, a leading manufacturer of innovative two-bladed utility-scale wind turbines, has selected Pocatello, Idaho, as the site for its new turbine manufacturing facility for the North American market.
Nordic Windpower plans to create more than 160 new technical, engineering, and administrative jobs at the new Idaho-based facility, with additional positions at the company’s operational centers in California and the UK.
“Idaho is very pleased to have attracted Nordic Windpower, a rapidly growing company in the renewable energy sector,” said Governor Otter. “Idaho is committed to increasing our energy independence by increasing renewable energy use to 25 percent by 2025. That will mean great new jobs for Idahoans as we continue to draw leading alternate energy businesses such as Nordic Windpower to our state.”
“We are extremely pleased to locate Nordic Windpower’s North American manufacturing facility in Idaho, following a comprehensive review of many good sites across the United States,” said Steve Taber, Nordic Windpower CEO and co-founder. “Pocatello has a favorable cost of operations, and an excellent workforce and location central to potential customers and transportation. These advantages will benefit our customers in competitive pricing for very high reliability. With the invaluable assistance at the state and local level, Nordic is ramping up rapidly to meet demand that is outpacing production across the industry.”
“We are excited that Nordic Windpower has selected Pocatello for its US manufacturing operations and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship,” said Mayor Chase. “Nordic Windpower will add welcome new jobs and enhance Pocatello’s reputation as an attractive center for alternate energy manufacturing with an exceptional workforce, cost of doing business, and quality of life. ”
As one of North America’s leading wind developers, and a company instrumental in Nordic’s move to Idaho, Boise-based Exergy Development Group welcomes Nordic to Idaho. “We are delighted to see Nordic, with its innovative technology, strong financial foundation, and excellent management team, ‘voting with its feet’ to come to Idaho,” said James Carkulis, Exergy President. “We look forward to working with them to grow the state’s renewable energy sector.”
As a result of Idaho’s assistance, Nordic has several options for expansion, up to four times the size of its leased 42,786 square-foot facility, as it scales production to meet demand of large and small developers and community wind projects.
Volume production is expected to commence in Q3 for turbine delivery in November 2008, with anticipated production of at least 20 turbines monthly by September 2009.
“We feel very strongly that Pocatello is the right place for Nordic Windpower,” said Gynii Gilliam, Executive Director of Bannock Development Company, a private non-profit economic development organization working with Idaho state and local government. “The company is a good fit with alternate energy manufacturing operations in southeastern Idaho, and we are happy to help leading companies realize the cost-savings and advantages of working in our state.”
About Nordic Windpower
With offices in California, the UK, and Sweden, Nordic Windpower Ltd. manufactures and sells competitively priced, low maintenance and highly reliable utility-scale wind turbines to large and small developers and community wind projects worldwide. With 10 years of trouble-free operations, Nordic Windpower’s two-bladed turbines are based on a 30-year, $75 million investment in R & D by the Swedish government. For information, visit www.nordicwindpower.com or call toll-free 888-322-2080.
SOURCE Nordic Windpower Ltd.