Salazar praises wind power plant

PUEBLO, Colo., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- The largest wind tower factory in the world was a gain for Colorado's labor market and environment, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday.

At the official opening of the Vestas Towers plant in Pueblo, Colo., Salazar said, "The steel industry has and will continue to play a large role in Pueblo's identity, but as seen here today, the renewable energy industry is carving its own path into the city and state's history.

"Colorado is committed to the development of a clean energy economy and I applaud Vestas for recognizing the potential of Colorado's landscape and workforce," he said, referring to the company that employs 400 people and produces wind turbines and towers.

The plant, which is already up and running, is capable of producing more than 1,000 wind towers per year. The company also operates a wind tower blade construction plant in Windsor, Colo. Another Vestas Towers blade manufacturing plant is under construction in Brighton, Colo.

"We have deliberately located our factories in a central region in the U.S. -- including our towers, nacelles (the housing or fuselage for the turbines) and blades plants -- because regional centralization allows Vestas to build and ship locally in any direction needed in North America, and that translated to a direct competitive advantage for all of our stakeholders," Vestas Towers President Knud Bjarne Hansen said.