Solar company CEO credits Trump trade policies for expansion Image By EPN Staff Key Points First Solar is expanding U.S. manufacturing, opening a new plant in Gaffney, South Carolina, and recently launching a $1.1 billion facility in Louisiana, part of a total $4.5 billion investment in U.S. PV manufacturing and R&D since 2019. U.S. solar manufacturing capacity is rapidly growing, with a fully reshored supply chain and tripled solar cell manufacturing capacity compared to last year, supported by federal policies and trade measures. First Solar’s CdTe thin-film technology reduces reliance on China, and the inclusion of tellurium and silicon on the U.S. Critical Minerals List strengthens domestic supply chains and supports continued innovation in American-made solar energy technologies. Arizona-based First Solar intends to pioneer cutting-edge solar panel technology at a factory it plans to open in Gaffney, South Carolina. CEO Mark Widmar credits the Trump Administration and Congress for creating market conditions for the expansion. “The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Administration’s trade policies boosted demand for American energy technology, requiring a timely, agile response that allows us to meet the moment,” Widmar told the press. Why it matters A new Solar Energy Industries Association report shows manufacturers are able to rely on a complete supply chain that has been reshored to the U.S. Since this time last year, manufacturing capacity for solar cells has more than tripled. By the end of next year, First Solar, one of the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar technology and manufacturing companies in the world, expects to directly employ more than 5,500 U.S. workers. The company says it will have invested $4.5 million in U.S. PV manufacturing and research since 2019. The company also just opened a $1.1 billion facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, that will employ 826 workers by the end of the year. “This is more than just a manufacturing facility. It’s a commitment to American energy dominance, affordable electricity, growth and prosperity. By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that U.S. reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality,” Widmar said of the Louisiana project. First Solar plans to invest $330 million in the new South Carolina plant, which will employ more than 600 workers. The company has other U.S. manufacturing plants in Alabama and Ohio, and research and development facilities in California and Ohio. The bigger picture First Solar does not depend on China for crystalline silicon because it uses a different process than most PV companies. First Solar’s thin-film technology utilizes cadmium and tellurium for solar panels. These cadmium telluride (CdTe) panels are less expensive to produce, and the company does not need to rely on imported crystalline silicon. First Solar and PV manufacturing companies were pleased that the United States Geological Survey, an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, kept tellurium and added silicon to its 2025 List of Critical Minerals essential for national security and economic security. The agency had considered removing tellurium from the list. The list informs regulatory frameworks and incentive policies. “The US leads the world in CdTe innovation and manufacturing, and this continued recognition will help strengthen domestic supply chains for tellurium refining and recovery, supporting growth of American solar manufacturing and innovation,” the head of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) coalition Mike Carr told PV Tech. Additional details Nearly 200 manufacturing companies make up the solar photovoltaic U.S. supply chain, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. They produce silicon wafers, cells, modules, inverters, electrical parts, mounting hardware and other components. SUGGESTED STORIES The mineral demands for a solar power expansion While the prospect of powering millions of homes using energy from the sun continues to draw attention, the details are far more complex. A massive solar power expansion will require an equally massive mining expansion, as the minerals necessary to build millions of new solar panels remain Read more Colorado’s grid expansion could mean billions in growth Colorado’s economic engine should not throttle itself. This is the choice being put to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Colorado’s economic and demographic situation looks much different in 2025 compared to ten years ago when it was at the top of national ra Read more The U.S. can be an AI leader with good energy policies This is a lightly edited excerpt of testimony recently provided to the U.S. Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee during the hearing “Hearing to Identify Challenges to Meeting Increased Electricity Demand.” Demand for the AI and cloud Read more
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