A major U.S. solar-panel-maker is crediting President Donald Trump for its decision to invest in a new American solar factory.
First Solar said Friday it intends to open a new panel factory in South Carolina, where it will make its Series 6 Plus modules. The Arizona-based company said the new factory will cost $330 million and create 600 new jobs when it comes online in the second half of 2026. First Solar said the investment was a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill, a sweeping budget measure signed into law this year by Trump.
“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,” said First Solar CEO Mark Widmar in a statement. “We expect that this new facility will enable us to serve the US market with technology that is compliant with the Act’s stringent provisions, within timelines that align with our customers’ objectives.”
First Solar is unique among panel-makers. It manufactures panels that use a thin-film technology that differs from the far more common crystalline silicon models. It has long been one of the most outspoken advocates in favor of increased tariffs on imported solar components — many of which are made by Chinese companies operating in southeast Asia — and the company had pushed for Congress to restrict the availability of tax credits available to domestic solar panel-makers under the Inflation Reduction Act, former President Joe Biden’s signature climate law.
