Just a couple weeks after Siemens opened the doors of its new nacelle assembly plant in Kansas, the global engineering and manufacturing powerhouse received an order that will keep the new plant plenty busy in 2011.

On Tuesday, Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) inked a huge deal with the Iowa utility MidAmerican Energy for 258 2.3-megawatt wind turbines to be installed at three Iowa wind farms. The deal is the largest-ever onshore wind turbine order for Siemens. MidAmerican Energy Holdings is a listed subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway, which owns an 89 percent stake in the company.

"[W]e are proud to partner with [MidAmerican Energy] as they continue to install generating capacity using the wind resources of Iowa, the state with the highest percentage of wind energy generation in its mix," said Rene Umlauft, CEO of Siemens Renewable Energy Division.

With the nacelles being assembled at Siemens' new plant in Hutchinson, Kansas and the turbine blades being manufactured in Fort Madison, Iowa, the turbines will be made virtually entirely in the United States.

"As the U.S. market for wind power continues to develop even further, Siemens will continue to create clean energy jobs in America's heartland," said Siemens' Umlauft.

The 101-meter rotor of the Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines are specifically designed to optimize the energy returns in areas with limited wind speeds, making them ideal for sites with low to medium wind speeds.

Iowa has the highest percentage of wind energy in its electricity mix in the 50 U.S. states.

Source: http://earthandindustry.com/2010/12/siemens-inks-huge-wind-turbine-deal-with-warren-buffets-midamerican-energy/