Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement on the announcement that Vestas will reduce the size of its workforce at its blade factories in Windsor and Brighton, Colorado.

“It’s frustrating to think about what this announcement means for hundreds of Colorado families, particularly because some of these jobs may have been saved if Congress had passed a wind PTC extension before the eleventh hour. Last minute extensions prolong uncertainty for business – one of the main reasons why 2013 is projected to be a slower year for the wind industry. Congress needs to stop manufacturing these unnecessary crises and give these industries some predictability.”

In a statement today, Vestas announced it will lay off about 10 percent of its manufacturing employees in the state. The wind energy manufacturing company cited the late timing of the wind production tax credit extension as a reason that 2013 installations were expected to decrease due to the time it takes from when an order is placed to when the project begins. It also stated that the announcement will not affect employees at the nacelle factory in Brighton or the tower factory in Pueblo.