US’s largest solar panel maker to open a new 3.7-GW factory

First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR), the US’s largest solar panel maker, announced it will open a new 3.7-gigawatt (GW) factory in the US to finish production of its Series 6 modules started at its overseas factories.

Production is expected to launch at the end of 2026 and ramp up through the first half of 2027, First Solar said in a conference call with investors after it released its Q3 financial report. The new factory’s location is still being negotiated and will be announced at a later date.

The company’s plan for the new factory aligns with its strategy to expand US manufacturing production and reshore supply chains. The Biden administration accelerated renewable energy growth through the Inflation Reduction Act by offering manufacturing tax credits, such as the 45X credit, to boost domestic production.

The Trump administration also aims to reduce dependence on foreign-made products, but it is openly hostile toward the renewable energy industry and has canceled many of Biden’s tax credits, incentives, and loan programs, instead throwing its weight behind fossil fuels. Earlier this year, First Solar lobbied Congress and the Trump administration to retain the manufacturing tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. The 45X tax credits are still intact, and First Solar expects the Series 6 modules finished at the new factory to qualify for the 45X tax credits.

First Solar CEO Mark Widmar said on the conference call, “This activity places us uniquely at the intersection of several of the administration’s key priorities, including those related to domestic manufacturing job creation, American energy and energy affordability, and serving among the generation solutions that enable the US to win the artificial intelligence race against China.”

Read more: US reshores entire solar supply chain – as Trump puts $31B at risk

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