The Vermont-based manufacturer will assemble nacelles, hubs, generators and down-tower assemblies for its direct drive 2.2MW machines at the facility, which it has been using this year to build prototypes.
Northern Power expects the plant to employ 137 people by 2014.
Turbines built at the Saginaw factory will be installed on the 29MW Garden wind farm. The project is being developed by Heritage Sustainable Energy on Michigan’s Garden Peninsula.
Heritage recently secured a power purchase agreement for the wind farm from Consumers Energy.
Northern Power is also supplying a prototype 2.2MW turbine to Heritage for use at its Stoney Corners wind farm.
The prototype was manufactured for Northern Power by Merrill Technologies Group (MTG), which received a $22 million tax credit through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.
Finnish metal castings company URV Foundry also plans to open a facility in Michigan next year.
Michigan’s renewable energy standard calls for utilities to derive 10% of their electricity from renewables by 2015.
Consumers Energy says that four percent of its power comes from in-state renewable sources, and this should rise to eight percent by the end of 2012.
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