On August 9, 2023, President Joe Biden toured the new Arcosa Wind Towers manufacturing site in Belen, New Mexico.
The Arcosa plant repurposed and renovated a defunct Solo cup factory, helping to revitalize the local economy.
During his visit, President Biden said, “Since I signed the [Inflation Reduction Act] into law, Arcosa has received $1.1 billion of orders for new wind towers and today we are here breaking ground on a new plant that is going to create 250 new good paying jobs. And meanwhile we are speeding up permitting for new transmissions lines so that wind energy produced by these towers reaches people’s homes.”
Back on March 14th, Arcosa announced a plan to invest between $55 to $60 million to purchase property, modify the existing plant, and procure necessary equipment for the new wind tower manufacturing facility in Belen.
This project is supported by attractive incentives from the state of New Mexico and the city of Belen.
Production is expected to begin in mid-2024.
Antonio Carrillo, Arcosa’s President and CEO commented, “Arcosa is proud to have hosted President Biden at today’s event. This new plant demonstrates the expected long-term positive impact of the Inflation Reduction Act that is driving the transition to clean energy and job creation. When completed the Belen plant will produce wind towers to meet the growing demand for renewable energy.”
Since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the company has received wind tower orders in excess of $1.1 billion, including a significant level of backlog through 2028 for the Belen facility.
Additional capacity is available to support further expansion in the Southwest region.
Roger Martella, Vice President of GE Vernova Government Affairs and Sustainability commented, “The IRA and IIJA have been game changers, and the Arcosa facility in Belen is an early proof point of this success. We congratulate our partners at Arcosa, and we value our 18-year partnership building clean energy and jobs together. When America innovates, the world wins, starting here in Belen.”
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Arcosa, Inc. is a provider of infrastructure-related products and solutions in construction, engineered structures, and transportation markets.
Photo courtesy of Arcosa, Inc.