With $40M investment, Vestas to manufacture new turbine in Brighton, Windsor

BRIGHTON and WINDSOR — The American business of Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S is investing $40 million to expand and upgrade its manufacturing facilities in Windsor and Brighton, where it plans to build a new turbine product for the United States market: the V163-4.5MW, which is optimized for low to medium wind speeds.

“Wind energy is a key economic driver for local communities, and we look forward to bringing new clean energy jobs and economic development to Colorado. This $40 million direct investment in our onshore manufacturing footprint is a testament to our commitment to deploying the V163-4.5 MW turbine across North America and beyond to support the clean energy transition,” Vestas North America president Laura Beane said in a prepared statement. “We applaud Colorado’s continued commitment to expanding clean energy as well as the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which has helped kickstart a domestic supply chain.”

To support the new turbine production, Vestas plans to hire between 800 and 1,000 new workers between the plants. To ensure future workers have the right skills for the job, Vestas plans to launch internship and apprenticeship programs in partnership workforce development groups and local high schools.

“I am so excited by Vestas’ new investment in Colorado and the more than 800 good new jobs being created in Weld and Adams counties. Colorado is the best place to start and grow a business, and the clean energy sector is really taking off. I am so proud to congratulate Vestas on this exciting next step,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

The new investment is a significant turnaround from 2021, when Vestas laid off about 450 workers across its operations in Brighton and Pueblo. It has since sold its Pueblo tower manufacturing plant.