FT. MADISON, IOWA -- Once he landed in Fort Madison, President Obama toured the Siemans Wind Turbine plant.  After the tour, he delivered a speech to hundreds of the plant's employees.

President Obama checked up on the country's investment in wind energy with a visit to Siemens wind turbine plant early Tuesday afternoon. The facility has been a recipient of a federal 3.5 million dollar tax credit as part of America's Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On a tour of the facility, plant managers explained to the President how that money allowed the plant to increase production of a new, more efficient turbine blade like this, designed to gather more energy in low wind conditions.

As he greeted more than 300 employees and local leaders gathered at the plant, he commented on the size of these wind gathering giants.

President Obama says he came to the Midwest to talk about the economic pains felt in rural areas all over the country, but to also highlight economic potential. Obama says this plant, which opened just three years ago is a prime example of how rural areas can couple natural resources, like the wind, with job creation.

President Obama said, "It was remarkable, made all the more so when you consider that just a few short years ago, this facility sat dark and quiet. Today, it's alive and humming with more than 600 employees, almost two-thirds of whom found themselves unemployed before landing here. And this plant supports more than 350 other jobs throughout Lee County. Here, you manufacture blades for some of the most advanced wind turbines in the world; each as tall as Air Force One is long; each capable of generating enough energy to power hundreds of homes, just by harnessing the wind."

During his speech President Obama said the Siemens plant is a great example of what can happen when companies invest in green energy. He also had a message for the workers here.

President Obama said, "And while it may not feel like it every day when you punch in; you are making it possible. You're blazing a trail. And someday, our children, and our children's children; will look back on this moment and marvel at a generation that chose, in a time of crisis, to place its bet on the future; that chose to reopen factories, restart assembly lines, and retrain workers; that chose to once again step forward and meet the challenges of our time."

President Obama says his goal is for the country to generate 20 percent of its power in the next 20 years.

But he says Iowa is leading the charge to energy independence, ahead of every state, already producing 14 percent of its electricity from harnessing the wind with turbines like these. One more reason why he wanted to visit this plant in southeast Iowa.