President Barack Obama announced on Jan. 8 the award of $2.3 billion in Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits for clean energy manufacturing projects across the United States. One hundred eighty three projects in 43 states will receive the credits, including several in the wind energy market that work with composites.

“Building a robust clean energy sector is how we will create the jobs of the future,” said President Obama. “The Recovery Act awards I am announcing today will help close the clean energy gap that has grown between America and other nations while creating good jobs, reducing our carbon emissions and increasing our energy security.”

Beneficiaries include TPI Composites Inc. (Scottsdale, Ariz., USA), which received $9 million to apply toward construction of a new manufacturing facility in Nebraska to produce next-generation wind turbine blades. TPI says the facility will create more than 200 new jobs and will have a capacity equivalent to supplying 265 turbines rated at 2.5 MW for a total electrical output of 663 MW.  TPI will also expand its existing manufacturing facility in Iowa to meet the anticipated increased demand for composite wind turbine blades.

Vestas Blades America Inc., a subsidiary of Vestas Wind Systems AS (Randers, Denmark), received $30.2 million for its wind blad manufacturing facility in Brighton, Colo., USA. Vestas Blades produces blades for wind turbines used in the production of wind energy. The utility-scale blades are approximately 44m/144 ft in length.

Hexcel Corp. (Stamford, Conn., USA) received $8.1 million to apply toward its new prepreg facility in Windsor, Colo., USA. That facility is near two new Vestas Blades America plants in Windsor and Brighton, Colo., for which Hexcel is a supplier of composite resin and fiber systems.

Energetx Composites Inc. (Holland, Mich., USA) will receive nearly $2 million in tax credits. Energetx is an outgrowth of the Slikkers’ family Tiara Yachts. Building on the company's composite manufacturing expertise developed in the boat industry, Energetx was formed in 2008 to build wind blades and nacelles.

Information: Click here for a full list of projects funded by the clean energy tax credits.