Siemens Energy to invest $421 million in NC 

This week Siemens Energy announced that it would be investing $421 million to expand its’ operations in North Carolina. The expansions will occur at multiple locations, involve the manufacturing of energy infrastructure equipment, and are expected to create 500 new jobs statewide.

“The equipment we produce in North Carolina is helping meet our nation’s unprecedented growth in energy,” Matt Neal, Siemens Energy’s President of North America said. “We are building on a strong, decades-long foundation in the state, supported by a dedicated workforce that consistently rises to meet new challenges and a pipeline of young and eager talent ready to build the machines that will power the United States into the next century.” 

The $421 million North Carolina investment is part of a larger, nationwide strategy by Siemens Energy to bolster domestic manufacturing of energy infrastructure equipment and strengthen the US power grid. The company has committed roughly $1 billion to expand its manufacturing footprint across the country, including in states such as Mississippi, Alabama, New York, Texas, and Florida, to meet growing grid demands and supply chain needs.

“This tremendous investment in a critical part of our power grid supply chain underscores President Trump’s success in expanding supply chain access and bringing major manufacturing back to America,” said US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a press release. “We appreciate great partners like Siemens Energy, who proactively partner with the Trump administration for the benefit of the American people, prioritizing critical components to make the United States Energy dominant!”

Expanding on the $150 million investment announced in 2024, this investment will stretch the power transformer manufacturing facility in Charlotte and increase service capacity to keep up with demand. Siemens Energy currently produced large gas turbines in Berlin, Germany, and part of the expansion plan would bring production to Charlotte, after a six-year pause.   

Gas turbine parts are to be produced in Winston-Salem and expanding grid technology project execution, research, and development will occur in Raleigh.  

Like much of the United States, North Carolina—with Charlotte at the helm, is seeing an uptick in proposed AI driven data centers. Facilities house machinery used to process large amounts of data and information, requiring massive storehouses of energy.  

“Siemens Energy has been making things in the United States for more than a century and we are experiencing a once-in-a-generation growth opportunity due to the resurgence of US manufacturing and the growth of artificial intelligence,” Christian Bruch, CEO and President of Siemens Energy, said in a press release. “The current policy environment has contributed to this momentum. The Trump Administration has made energy security, a reliable and resilient grid, and growing US manufacturing jobs a priority. This has supercharged the energy demand which is supporting new investments across the energy sector. We are excited to help write this next chapter of American energy expansion.” 

While this latest Siemens Energy investment in North Carolina’s economy is not backed by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG), previous investments have been JDIG-funded. This includes the Charlotte investment announced in February 2024.  

“State incentive records show Siemens Energy has received four JDIGs from North Carolina — approved in 2009, 2010, 2010, and 2024 — with both 2010 agreements later terminated, placing the company squarely within the program’s broader pattern of underperformance,” Joseph Harris, fiscal policy analyst for the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal. “According to state data, nearly half of all JDIG agreements approved from fiscal years 2003 to 2025, or 222 out of 449 deals, have been terminated or withdrawn before meeting their job-creation targets.” 

In 2024, The North Carolina Economic Investment Committee (NCEIC) approved a $6,979,500 reimbursement to Siemens Energy over the spam of 12 years with the hope of creating more jobs in the state. An additional $2,326,500 was allocated to the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account, bringing the total cost of the grant to $9.3 million.  

Even without JDIG support for the expansion announced this week, Siemens Energy has stated that the project will create a substantial number of jobs. Job creation benchmarks are a key requirement of the JDIG program, and some past recipients have failed to meet those benchmarks, resulting in terminated agreements.

JDIG grants are performance-based, discretionary incentives tied to a company’s ability to meet investment and employment commitments intended to support economic development. When projects do not meet those requirements, expected economic benefits—such as job creation and capital investment—may not materialize in the affected communities.

“Siemens Energy is a valued member of North Carolina’s advanced manufacturing community, and we welcome this meaningful expansion of the company’s operations in our state,” said Gov. Josh Stein. “From our state’s world-class transportation infrastructure to our skilled workforce, North Carolina offers manufacturers the best place to do business in the United States.”

Gas turbine manufacturing began in Charlotte in 2011 and then terminated in 2020 due to low demand. Starting back this year, Siemens Energy expects the first gas turbines to be shipped from Charlotte in the next 2-3 years.  

Siemens Energy is also investing in the Winston Technology Center in Rural Hall, North Carolina. The company currently manufactures and services parts for power generation equipment.   

Globally, Siemens Energy employees over 103,000 people in more than 90 countries. In the fiscal year 2025, they generated over $46 billion in revenue.  

“Siemens Energy to invest $421 million in NC ” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.