Mick McDaniel's solar panel manufacturing company in Indianapolis emerged after the Inflation Reduction Act boosted clean energy incentives. The U.S. solar market is poised for growth as billions have been invested in factories, potentially creating 60,000 jobs. However, current risks arise from Congressional Republicans planning to roll back tax credits, jeopardizing these investments and the onshore manufacturing drive. Industry experts warn that a return to lower-cost imports could challenge domestic producers who face higher manufacturing costs, threatening the progress made in reducing China's solar dominance.
"What I see two years out is low-cost will once again drive demand in this market," says McDaniel, general manager of Bila Solar. He adds, "That's going to be a hard road for some of us who have [higher costs] than panels made over in China or Southeast Asia."
Since 2022, when Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, companies have invested $9.1 billion in U.S. solar factories that are operating and another $36.7 billion in facilities that are under construction or in development, according to SEIA.
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