Developers Say the Empty Rail Yard Is a Perfect Place to Build Wind Towers
Albuquerque is one of four cities vying for a factory to produce giant steel towers for the nation's soaring wind energy industry. Fort Worth developer Renaissance Development Co. and Albuquerque Economic Development (AED) have been working for months to persuade an unnamed manufacturer to open a plant to produce wind turbine towers at the former rail yard. T

he U.S.-based manufacturer has plants in the United States and Canada and is looking to open a third somewhere in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas or New Mexico. Renaissance president Ed Casebier estimates the plant could create up to 300 manufacturing jobs. Casebier and AED president Gary Tonjes hope incentives such as job training funds, tax credits and industrial revenue bonds, which are available to manufacturers, will swing the deal in Albuquerque's favor. Demand for the towers has dramatically grown as utilities worldwide seek pollution-free ways to produce electricity to meet consumer needs.

New Mexico is among the top six wind energy producing states in the nation with four major wind ranches capable of producing a total of 407 megawatts of electricity. A fifth wind ranch, currently under construction, will bring that up to 497 megawatts.
Albuquerque Journal