Renewable energy industries are vital for America in the 21st century. The US must have a diversity of energy sources including solar power, wind power, hydroelectric, and fossil fuel. We must have the capability to manufacture the vital equipment and supplies in each sector because a healthy energy sector is essential for national and economic security.
For much of the 20th century, the US was dependent on oil supplies from foreign nations, at great cost to our economy, our national security, our foreign policies, and our pocketbook. We must ensure we are never again in that position. We can do that by creating the conditions so that the two most important growth sectors in energy, solar power and wind power, are produced here with equipment and technology developed and located here in America.
The geopolitics of solar are impacting a number of top China solar companies. Trina Solar is the latest. Tariffs on solar made in their southeast Asian factories were increased this month for circumventing duties, and a $235 million investment into Texas was sold in late 2024.
The report highlights the critical state of the U.S. domestic solar manufacturing industry and lays out actionable policy recommendations to secure America’s abundant energy future through a diversified energy portfolio that includes a robust advanced solar manufacturing technology supply chain, while reducing dependence on Chinese imports.
Biden’s signature climate change-related spending policy, the Inflation Reduction Act, is said to be going under the knife once Trump takes office in January. But with Republican districts now full of solar, and solar manufacturing facilities, the real risk is changes to the so-called 45X tax credit.
Now that we have re-elected President Trump for a second term to work on achieving his goal of Making America Great Again, it’s time to focus on how to rebuild America’s manufacturing industry because we can’t be great again without a strong domestic manufacturing industry.
CPA will be working closely with President-Elect Trump’s team to craft policies that will make a lasting impact on U.S. trade and industrial policy.
A new solar company called Ebon Solar has secured a $10 million grant from the state of New Mexico, along with $1 million in financing and another $1 billion in a state-backed bond, to build an 834,000-square-foot solar cell manufacturing facility near Albuquerque.
