Tell Congress to sustain the U.S. solar manufacturing industry!

The unprecedented mass production of solar panels in China continues to transform human civilization’s energy systems faster than almost anyone thought possible. Now, it looks like China’s solar panel exports to developing countries (the “Global South”) overtook exports to developed countries (the “Global North”) in 2024 after more than doubling in just two years. A perfect example of the “leapfrog effect” in action and an extremely positive sign for Global South climate resilience and cleaner air worldwide!

The breakdown of solar exports by country is also worth examining in-depth. Number one is the Netherlands, which should be seen as essentially standing for all of the European Union as the Dutch port of Rotterdam is such a major regional import hub, but the following four were all Global South countries, led by Brazil in second place.

The third and fourth biggest importers of Chinese solar panels in 2024 were two countries enjoying very different surprise cleantech booms: Pakistan (mostly for small-scale rooftop solar in a decentralized cleantech revolution) and Saudi Arabia (mostly for vast new solar-and-battery farms in their deserts). The fifth was India, which like many other nations is working to build up its independent domestic solar manufacturing as well. Solar deployment is also starting to grow very fast from a very low base in Algeria, Iraq, and Nigeria - possible future candidates to wow the world with Pakistan-level super-fast solar surges!

And, after all this, China still installed 333 GW (333,000 MW) of solar panels domestically in 2024, substantially more than the total of 242 GW (242,000 MW) of solar panels that it exported in 2024 to the rest of Earth’s nations combined. Wow.

China’s current leadership in the key energy technologies defining the 21st century is the present reality, but sustained Chinese dominance is not inevitable. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act worked hard to supercharge U.S. investment in the fast-growing clean energy industries of the future, and have already led to substantial early successes like a quintupling of domestic solar manufacturing since 2022 to reach over 40 GW of U.S. solar manufacturing capacity.

But almost unbelievably, the current political situation in the U.S. is replacing the question of “Can the U.S. catch up to China in the clean energy industries powering the future?” with “Can the U.S. keep any domestic clean energy manufacturing at all?” Much U.S. government funding (including a multitude of already-legally-finalized IRA cleantech loans) hangs under a cloud of economy-damaging confusion and uncertainty due to executive orders and court challenges. Chaotic tariff policies create uncertainties that make it near-impossible for businesses to be confident enough to build a factory. And in upcoming budget talks, many are pushing for eliminating the vital Inflation Reduction Act tax credits that have built a competitive U.S. solar manufacturing industry in the first place, a horrendously “penny-wise and pound foolish” idea that would cripple American competitiveness and accelerate the looming specter of deindustrialization.

It is vital for Congress to reclaim its constitutional power of the purse, sustain the Inflation Reduction Act, and ensure that America makes the investments necessary to ensure its national security in a world where clean energy is a leading economic engine. Congress must act to retain the Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, stabilize U.S. trade policy, and ensure that all IRA cleantech loans go through.

Tell Congress to sustain the U.S. solar manufacturing industry!