By Terry McDonald, May 5, 2011

Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) said today it is shipping 22 wind turbine nacelles and hubs manufactured at its Hutchinson, Kansas, plant to a Puget Sound Energy (PSE) wind farm in Washington state by rail -- which will reduce the carbon footprint of the transport by 80% compared with shipping the huge 87-metric-ton components by truck.

The nacelles and hubs are heading to the Lower Snake River Wind Project near Pomeroy, Washingion. Other components, such as turbine towers and blades, are also being shipped to the project by rail from Siemens’ Fort Madison, Iowa, manufacturing facility. 

Phase I of the Lower Snake River Wind Project is PSE's third and largest wind-power facility. When completed in 2012, the new 343-megawatt (MW) facility will produce enough electricity to power more than 100,000 households and boost the Washington utility's total wind-power generating capacity to 773 MW. 

In December 2010, Siemens officially opened its 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Hutchinson to produce nacelles for the company's 2.3 MW and 3 MW wind turbines. The facility currently employs approximately 200 people, a number that is expected to double when the factory is fully operational. Approximately 700 people are employed at Siemens' wind turbine blade factory in Fort Madison. 

Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties.  In February 2009, PSE’s parent company Puget Energy was acquired by Puget Holding LLC for $7.4 billion. Puget Holdings is a group of long-term infrastructure investors, including U.S. and Canadian institutions, such as public and corporate pension funds, endowments and foundations and Taft-Hartley (Labor) funds.

Photo credit: Siemens USA

DISCLOSURE: The writer has no positions in, or professional connections with, these companies. 

This is a cross-post from EnergyBoom.com.

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Original Post: http://energyboom.com/finance/e•boom-capital-siemens-says-rail-shipment-reduces-carbon-footprint-80