Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) plans to lay off 200 workers at two U.S. wind power equipment manufacturing facilities. The company on Feb. 9 said the job cuts are due to a reduction in orders for commercial wind turbines.

An SGRE spokesperson said more jobs cuts at the plants—one in Hutchinson, Kansas, and the other in Fort Madison, Iowa—could be forthcoming. 

SGRE has acknowledged “challenges” in its onshore wind power business, and on Feb. 2 announced that Jochen Eickholt, a member of the executive board at Siemens Energy, will be the new CEO for SGRE, replacing Andreas Nauen as of March 1. Nauen had taken over as CEO in June 2020.

Shannon Sturgil, CEO of Siemens Gamesa Onshore North America, in a statement about this week’s job cuts, said: “Two primary factors contributed to this decision. While the final ruling of the ITC on the recent patent challenge case brought by a competitor [GE] was ultimately in our favor, we were temporarily prevented from pursuing new orders during the determination period.…

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