Brighton welcomes its energy future

3/26/2009 - Brighton, Colorado

Groundbreaking Wednesday at the Vestas Americas construction site on Weld County Road 6 was a royal affair: The Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark spoke to media and guests and the Crown Princess Mary tossed shovelfuls of dirt. Brighton City Councilors Daryl Myers, David Gill, Rob Farina, Wayne Scott, Wilma Rose and Cynthia Martinez helped unveil the new street sign that will mark Brighton’s recently annexed portion of Weld County Road 6 (Crown Prince Boulevard).
The mayor also read a proclamation declaring Wednesday Vestas Day in Brighton, presenting it to Vestas President Ole Borup Jakobsen.
Jakobsen, Mayor Pawlowski, the Crown Prince, Weld County Commissioner William Garcia and Gov. Bill Ritter spoke in a tent to more than 100 guests and media.
“Today is a bright spot for us and for the economy,” Ritter said. “Vestas understands our vision of a new energy economy in Colorado.”
He explained that the global wind-power leader is creating jobs in Colorado and at the same time creating a clean energy path forward.
Ritter and the mayor spoke of the emerging Renewable Energy Corridor in Colorado, with what will be Brighton’s newest business, now projected to open in early 2010, at its center.
When the Brighton plants are running at full capacity, Jakobsen said, they will produce 1,000 nacelles (the component that converts wind power to energy) and 2,000 blades a year. The nacelles plant, employing 700 people initially, will be the company’s largest assembly plant. The blade factory, larger than the existing one in Windsor, will employ 650 people initially. Jakobsen said the plant(s) ultimately will employ about 1,500 people.
Overall, Colorado’s Vestas operations will employ 2,500 people and will include the world’s largest tower manufacturing plant, opening this year in Pueblo.
The Crown Prince spoke to the economic importance of renewable energy, noting that Vestas entered the wind-power market after the second oil crisis in the 1970s.
Since then, Denmark has become one of the most energy efficient countries in the world. Since 1980, the country’s economy has grown by 78 percent; renewable energy comprises 17 percent of overall energy consumption; renewable energy accounts for 28 percent of Denmark’s electricity supply; and since 1990, economic activity in Denmark has increased by more than 45 percent while it has reduced greenhouse gases by 15 percent.
 “Denmark uses less than half of the energy (per capita) of the United States and Canada though our lifestyles are similar,” he said.

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