| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Gone with the wind? Layoffs cloud co.’s Marlboro plans
Credit: By Ira Kantor, www.bostonherald.com 13 January 2012 ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
State and city officials hope a proposed $16 million Vestas research facility in Marlboro won’t just blow away after learning yesterday the Danish wind turbine maker would lay off 182 U.S. and Canadian workers, with the possibility of another 1,600 U.S. manufacturing jobs on the chopping block this year.
“We’re still hoping to work with the company,” said Marlboro Mayor Arthur Vigeant. “They are in the permitting stage for building it. There are no jobs yet to speak of to take away.”
Vestas currently employs 34 people in technology research and development in Marlboro and Hudson. The company held a ceremonial ground-breaking in November – an event attended by “green” energy champion Gov. Deval Patrick – for a 27,000-square-foot building where workers would develop generators and drive-train technologies for next-generation wind turbines.
In exchange for creating 66 jobs, Marlboro granted a 10-year tax incentive plan to Vestas, Vigeant said. The deal is valid only if Vestas actually builds the facility.
Vestas said yesterday it will lay off 2,335 people worldwide. The additional 1,600 U.S. jobs facing elimination will only be wiped out if the U.S. Congress does not extend a special tax credit.
“We will evaluate it during 2012 depending entirely on how the political situation evolves,” Vestas chief Ditlev Engel told Bloomberg News.
State Rep. John Keenan, D-Salem, co-chairman of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, said wind projects are important in making renewable energy cost effective.
“I’m hopeful (the layoffs) would not impact the facility out in Marlboro,” he said.
This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.
The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.
| Wind Watch relies entirely on User Contributions |
 (via Stripe) |
 (via Paypal) |
Share:
[ Short URL: https://wind-watch.org/news/?p=17737 ]
