CLIPPER WINDPOWER – CEDAR RAPIDS
About Clipper Windpower
Clipper Windpower Inc. is a rapidly growing company engaged in wind energy technology, wind turbine manufacturing and wind project
development. The company has wind turbine manufacturing operations in Cedar Rapids.
Clipper serves as a fine example of Iowa’s surging wind power industry. Currently, Iowa has more than 1,000 wind turbines in operation
statewide, capable of producing almost 1,000 megawatts of electricity. This is enough renewable energy to power 250,000 Iowa homes
and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 3.5 billion pounds.
About the Projects
In 2005, Iowa was competing with other states for the $22 million project to build Clipper’s newlydeveloped,
C-series wind turbine. Other known competitors for the first manufacturing plant of Clipper
Windpower include New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan, New York and Maryland. With the help of
business incentives, Clipper chose to locate their manufacturing plant in Cedar Rapids to build its newlydeveloped,
Clipper 2.5MW Liberty wind turbines. The facility is expected to create 141 new jobs at an
average starting wage of $18.93 per hour, with a third-year average wage of over $20 per hour.
In July of 2006, again with the help of state incentives, Clipper grew. The project, an expansion of the
previous project, is expected to create 10 jobs above and beyond the 141 jobs previously committed
with an average wage of $20.14 per hour, and create $1.2 million in capital investment in Cedar Rapids.
The company increased production capacity from 250 to 500 wind turbines per year to handle additional
orders for its technology.
About the Incentives
April 2005
• $2 million Community Economic Betterment Account float loan (short-term)
• $500,000 Community Economic Betterment Account forgivable loan
• $346,000 from the Physical Infrastructure Assistance Program
• Enterprise Zone tax benefits
July 2006
• Enterprise Zone tax benefits
 IN THE NEWS
Dubuque Catching the Wind
Dubuque Telegraph Herald, by Matt Kittle, October 7, 2007
California-based Clipper Windpower Inc. is a leading force in Iowa’s growing wind power industry…
“It’s right in the heart of the United States, easy for us to ship,” Clipper spokeswoman Mary McCann-
Gates said of the company’s two-year old Cedar Rapids factory. “It was favorable there for us as far as a
manufacturing facility and the availability of a lot of skilled workers and encouragement from the area.”
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