Brian Eckhouse and Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Bloomberg News
LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON
EnergiesNet.com 04 27 2022
A U.S. probe into whether Chinese solar-panel manufacturers are circumventing tariffs will slash domestic solar installations by 46% over this year and next and cut 100,000 American jobs, according to a leading solar advocacy group.
The Solar Energy Industries Association estimates that 318 projects totaling 51 gigawatts of solar capacity and 6 gigawatt-hours of attached battery storage are being canceled or delayed, the Washington-based group said Tuesday in an emailed statement.
The U.S. trade investigation has roiled the domestic industry and threatens to slow President Joe Biden’s push to green the country’s power grids since the U.S. relies heavily on solar panels imported from Asia. Many module suppliers in four Southeast Asian nations have suspended exports to the U.S., in response to the Commerce Department’s probe of whether companies are unfairly skirting 10-year-old duties on Chinese solar cells and modules.
Renewables giant NextEra Energy Inc. said last week that as much as 2.8 gigawatts of its solar and storage projects could shift to 2023 as a result of the probe.
Tariff supporters contend that SEIA and other solar advocates have made similarly dire predictions during prior trade battles, without the consequences materializing.
bloomberg.com 04 26 2022
