SEIA Calls for Ten-fold Increase in American Solar Manufacturing Capacity – 50GW by 2030

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following is a statement by Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), in support of Senator Jon Ossoff’s proposal for an advanced solar manufacturing production credit:

“We greatly appreciate Senator Ossoff’s leadership and support for domestic manufacturing. While the broader U.S. solar industry continues to flourish, America’s solar manufacturing sector has languished. Senator Ossoff’s proposal recognizes this reality. Now is the time to seize the promise of American solar manufacturing.

“Solar energy manufacturing is intensely competitive globally, and overseas manufacturers are often aided by significant support from local and national governments through a variety of public investments. If we want to compete in this environment, the U.S. government must also invest in its manufacturers across the entire supply chain, and these investments must be long-term and multi-faceted. Companies need a suite of pro-manufacturing policy options designed to provide demand certainty, incentivize investments in production capacity and support ongoing factory production. Senator Ossoff’s proposal will create a production-linked tax credit for the solar industry, which will be critical to our long-term success.

“Today, in support of Senator’s Ossoff’s proposal and our aim to reach 100 GW of annual renewable energy manufacturing capacity, we are setting a solar-specific target of 50 gigawatts of annual domestic production capacity by 2030. This aggressive goal would create American solar manufacturing capacity equal to over 150% of the 19.2 gigawatts of solar deployed in 2020 and covers all key elements of a solar energy system, including polysilicon, ingots and wafers, cells and modules, racking and trackers and inverters.

“The United States doesn’t need to produce every solar component installed domestically, but we do need to fill critical gaps in our supply chain and dramatically expand domestic production capacity. The long-term health of our industry depends upon it.”

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About SEIA®: 

The Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA) is leading the transformation to a clean energy economy, creating the framework for solar to achieve 20% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies and other strategic partners to fight for policies that create jobs in every community and shape fair market rules that promote competition and the growth of reliable, low-cost solar power. Founded in 1974, SEIA is the national trade association for the solar and solar + storage industries, building a comprehensive vision for the Solar+ Decade through research, education and advocacy. Visit SEIA online at www.seia.org and follow @SEIA on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

Media Contact: 

Morgan Lyons, SEIA’s Senior Communications Manager, mlyons@seia.org (202) 556-2872