West Branch wind turbine production facility reopens 12 years after it was idled

WEST BRANCH — A global wind energy company says it remains committed to the U.S. market and its plans to continue investing in Iowa and delivering turbines, even as industry groups and some Republicans warn President Donald Trump’s tax breaks and spending cuts bill could threaten future investment in wind, solar and other clean energy products and thousands of jobs in Iowa.

State and local leaders gathered Tuesday to celebrate the grand reopening of a wind turbine factory in West Branch, just hours after U.S. Senate Republicans passed Trump’s “one big beautiful bill” that would roll back federal green energy tax credits that spurred the company to restart production that had been idled since 2013.

Nordex Group restarted and expanded its local wind turbine production facility in West Branch earlier this year, and recently finished its first U.S.-made nacelle at the plant.

“I think through all these years, we have been showing the commitment, the loyalty, the trust in the American market, and this is also the proof here today, with the reopening of the factory,” said Ibrahim Oezarslan, chief commercial officer of Nordex. “America needs reliable, affordable and home grown electricity greater than ever before, and we believe that we as Nordex are in a position to help and fulfill that need.”

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Nordex employs more than 600 people across North America and is expanding its team in the region. It has production facilities in Germany, Spain, Brazil, Mexico and India, in addition to the United States.

The West Branch site employs more than 100 people and has been used to train service technicians and support other turbine operations in the United States. The plant now manufactures nacelles, hubs and drivetrains.

The company took over ownership of the West Branch facility when it acquired Acciona Windpower in 2016. But by that time, Acciona had ended production there, laying off the last of its assembly staff in March 2013.

Wind tax credits under threat from Trump tax bill

The company aims to grow and expand its manufacturing and operations in the United States due to tax incentives for clean energy production included the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by Democratic former President Joe Biden in 2022.

Many of the law’s lucrative tax credits for solar panels, wind turbines, electric cars and other green technologies would be phased out or dismantled as part Trump’s tax bill.

A handful of Senate Republicans — including Iowa U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst — sought to preserve the green energy tax credits for several more years, and pushed an amendment that would have slowed the phaseout for wind and solar tax credits. The senators, though, struggled to find offsetting cuts elsewhere in the bill to pay for the extension, and the amendment died, the New York Times reported.

The Senate, though, removed a proposed excise tax on wind and solar projects from the bill to gain support for its passage that a leading industry trade group says would have cost $7 billion over a decade, affecting businesses investing in renewable energy.

The tax was linked to sourcing rules and will be replaced with a plan to extend investment and production tax credits through June 2026.

Despite the positive changes, Frank Macchiarola, chief advocacy officer of American Clean Power, criticized the bill for phasing out credits too quickly, which contradicts the growing demand for electricity as data centers expand, fueled by advancements in artificial intelligence, and a rise in domestic manufacturing.

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“And in Iowa alone, that means 28 factories like this, 22,000 jobs and $600 million in investment,” he said. “And the fact is, we're going to need all of that.”

American Clean Power projects demand for power may increase by 50 percent over the next 15 years.

“But in order to do that, we need smart sound policies that accelerate the energy transition to wind, solar and battery storage, and you're doing it right here in this facility,” Macchiarola said.

He said the group is disappointment in the bill's outcome but remains committed to working with the administration and Congress on sensible energy policies.

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Uncertain of what would happen at the federal level with the tax credits and wanting to protect the business, Manav Sharma, CEO of Nordex North America, said the company needed to start manufacturing 16 turbines this week. He asked his staff for 10 to begin, and by the afternoon had plans in place for nine. Officials canceled a party to focus on manufacturing. Then, hours later, the Senate passed its bill, giving the company a year of breathing room.

Oezarslan and Manav Sharma, CEO of Nordex North America, thanked Grassley and Ernst — who ultimately voted for the bill — for their efforts and legislative support, and emphasized the economic viability of wind energy despite legislative uncertainties.

“Uncertainty of any kind is a bane of business,” Sharma told reporters. “… We do, however, express our gratitude to Sen. Ernst and Sen. Grassley, because they put up a fight at the last minute to protect our business.”

‘The economics behind wind still work’

Sharma emphasized the company's commitment to the U.S. market and Iowa and its plans to continue investing in and delivering turbines.

“It is still going to be challenging, but we do believe that wind is a very powerful source of energy. It's very economical,” he said. “And we do believe that given the time, the sector can stand on its own two feet. Having said that, like I said, uncertainty is the enemy of business. Is there an uncertainty in the business today? Yes, but does that dissuade us from taking the business decisions that we needed to make? No, and the reason is the economics behind wind still work.”

Sharma added Nordex plans to operate in West Branch “for the long term.”

“We are not here as a fly-by-night operator,” he said. “ … We are here, and we are proudly here to be working in Iowa and then contributing to this era of American energy dominance. We are bringing manufacturing jobs from overseas.”

Gov. Kim Reynolds joined company officials Tuesday for a ribbon cutting, using the event to underscore Iowa's role in wind energy and advanced manufacturing, and emphasizing the state's strategic importance in the American energy mix.

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Two-thirds of the state's total electricity net generation came from renewable resources in 2024, Reynolds said, with wind power generation accounting for 63 percent.

“The future of energy runs straight through the American Midwest, and this is what happens when you have a bold thinking business partner with forward looking states to push the boundaries of innovation and development,” the governor said. “It's the kind of progress that only occurs when you cut red tape, taxes are lower, job training programs are modernized, and rural America is treated not as an afterthought, but really as the foundation of our country's success.”

With Nordex’s investment, Reynolds said Iowa will become home to one of the most advanced nacelle assembly plants in the country, “supplying clean energy products across the U.S. and beyond.”

“And with that will come opportunities, not just for the workers on the floor, but for welders, technicians, truck drivers, suppliers and small businesses across the region, and to the men and women who will work in this facility,” she said. “You're not just building turbines, you're building energy independence, and you are building resilience, and you're building the kind of economy that truly works for Iowa's hard working families.

“… We celebrate the return of pride, of purpose and of progress, and a continued commitment to ensuring that this state remains a magnet for investment, for innovation and opportunity, where the winds of change are powered by an Iowa Workforce and an Iowa spirit.”

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