Autarky in the USA!*
*Except if you are getting your #solar cells from Korea.
Given that we make exactly zero solar cells in the United States at present, the latest solar trade case seems to have less to do with protecting U.S. manufacturing and more to do with QCells and First Solar shutting their competitors - including other American manufacturers - out of the market.
And every time we do this, it incrementally slows the #energytransition.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/24/u-s-solar-manufacturers-petitions-southeast-asia-00153994
Kevin Leecaster
in reply to Christian Roselund • • •We have some domestic #solar production.
Currently, the U.S. PV manufacturing industry has the capacity to produce PV modules to meet nearly a third of today’s domestic demand, but has gaps for solar glass and in the crystalline silicon value chain for the wafer and cell segments.
It's fine if we allow the developing economies access to lower cost PV while we build out a vital national security domestic manufacturing industry that's been neglected.
Christian Roselund
in reply to Kevin Leecaster • • •Yes, but this case is about solar cells, not modules (which other than poly is all we make).
And while I think it will drive some solar cell manufacturing in either the USA or third countries, it will also slow deployment this year. We don't have any more years to screw around like this.
Kevin Leecaster
in reply to Christian Roselund • • •Christian Roselund
in reply to Kevin Leecaster • • •Also: the cost of modules are between 25-30% of the cost of a utility-scale solar power plant, and 10-15% of the cost of a residential solar installation.
But many projects operate on tight margins, and AD/CVD *cannot* be predicted (rates are set 2 years later). So it really throws off project economics and will cause projects to be cancelled.
Kevin Leecaster
in reply to Christian Roselund • • •It will be interesting to see how Secretary Yellen deals with this application from those two companies and to let you know, I don't trust those two red state solar companies to be thinking about the big picture nor being honest either, but all of us that have been working to get climate action as long as I have knew that the transition would have plenty of hiccups since we are up against defenders of the status quo with huge resources.
We can still do it though.
Christian Roselund
in reply to Kevin Leecaster • • •This one isn't Yellen, it's Raimondo's Department of Commerce. But Raimondo isn't really in charge; these AD/CVD investigations are very rules-based.
Problem is, the rules are set up to protect U.S. companies and explicitly do not consider the common good for our country or our climate.
Mark Ohe
in reply to Christian Roselund • • •Kevin Leecaster
in reply to Mark Ohe • • •I get it that it's frustrating, but we have to operate with the laws we've got since we should all know that this 118th Congress is not going to do anything to help the clean energy industry while Mike Johnson's got the gavel.
We have to operate in the system we've got while trying to make it better the best we can and I don't think that in the long run allowing China to be in charge of global clean energy manufacturing is the best for everyone. Some may trust them, not me
Mark Ohe
in reply to Kevin Leecaster • • •Kevin Leecaster
in reply to Mark Ohe • • •