Heinrich Welcomes President Biden to Belén, New Mexico

BELÉN, N.M. — Nearly a year after the landmark Inflation Reduction Act was enacted into law, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) welcomed President Joe Biden to Arcosa Wind Towers in Belén, New Mexico to highlight how investments in the new law are positioning New Mexico to lead an American-made clean energy future while creating high-quality jobs, growing the economy, and lowering costs for New Mexican families. 

 

In April, Arcosa announced they had selected Belén to house a new wind tower manufacturing location, a $314 million investment that would create 250 jobs in the region. The decision to build the state-of-art wind manufacturing facility in Belén was ultimately made possible by the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act, which spurred millions of dollars in revenue for the company after months of financial hardship.  

“I worked really hard helping to write and pass the Inflation Reduction Act to make sure New Mexico’s kids could get their own ticket to the middle class. It was the honor of a lifetime to do that work,” said Heinrich. “This manufacturing facility is proof that the Inflation Reduction Act’s industrial policy is working—supporting 250 advanced manufacturing and trades careers that New Mexicans can build a family around.” 

 

Senator Heinrich fought aggressively to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, helping to secure major provisions, including a new rebate program that mirrors his Zero-Emission Homes Act. In the year since its enactment, the new law is already delivering real results for New Mexicans — fighting inflation and lowering costs, transforming domestic clean energy production and manufacturing, and reducing the nation’s climate warming carbon emissions. 

 

Heinrich has also been a longtime champion of the SunZia Transmission and Wind Project, which will become the largest renewable energy infrastructure project in U.S. history. SunZia Wind will generate 3,500 MW of wind power and bolster the manufacturing of wind towers like those made by Arcosa Wind Towers. The SunZia Transmission Line will traverse over 500 miles across New Mexico into Arizona, including in Valencia County. SunZia is expected to create over 2,000 jobs during construction, and once online, will support over 100 permanent jobs.  

Heinrich continues to press Administration officials to ensure the investments in the Inflation Reduction Act support domestic wind tower manufacturers and workers, including those at Arcosa Wind Towers in Belén.  

 

On May 9, Heinrich sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on behalf of domestic wind tower manufacturers and workers imploring the U.S. Department of the Treasury to implement the domestic content incentives and advanced manufacturing production (AMP) credits found in the Inflation Reduction Act in a manner that ensured domestic producers, rather than foreign producers, receive the benefits intended by the the new law. 

 

On May 22, Heinrich led a delegation letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen  applauding the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s May 12th release of preliminary guidance for the Inflation Reduction Act’s domestic content bonus credit, which categorized the wind turbine tower as “steel/iron,” ensuring the domestic content bonus will only be awarded to manufacturers if all wind turbine tower sections are entirely produced in the United States. 

 

Find Heinrich’s full remarks as delivered at the event here.