是靠加税人钱扶植的；大美批的政府补贴

U.S. government subsidies provide a boost to First Solar

Looking beyond the tariff issue, another pivotal development in the solar sector in 2024 has been the impact of U.S. government subsidies.

Central to this narrative is the Inflation Reduction Act, which offers substantial incentives and support to the domestic solar industry. The act extends and enhances the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and Production Tax Credit (PTC) for renewable energy projects, creating a stable financial environment that encourages consumers and businesses to invest in solar energy.

For solar cell manufacturers, these incentives are designed to lower production costs and foster technological innovation. For example, by reducing the industry’s reliance on international supply chains, the act is intended to improve the competitiveness of American manufacturers. This financial support is also expected to attract further investment, spurring job creation and economic growth within the manufacturing segment.

Since the law took effect last year, solar manufacturing capacity has expanded dramatically. Between the existing capacity and the announced plans for new capacity, U.S. manufacturers are poised to produce 125 gigawatts of solar panels per annum, as compared to the 7 gigawatts produced in 2022. This remarkable growth underscores the transformative impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, positioning U.S. solar manufacturers like First Solar to thrive in a rapidly evolving market environment. 

Along those lines, The Wall Street Journal reported that First Solar could reap nearly $710 million in total benefits from the federal incentives and subsidies during calendar year 2024. And according to information included in that same report, that figure could balloon to as much as $10 billion over the next decade.

Importantly, First Solar has been using government benefits and incentives to build out its manufacturing capacity in the U.S., which was the precise goal of the legislation. Last summer, First Solar announced it would build a new solar panel manufacturing facility in Louisiana and then broke ground on that project in September. This will be the company’s fifth solar manufacturing plant in the United States. First Solar also operates facilities in India, Malaysia and Vietnam.

At present, the United States is the world’s second-largest producer of solar energy. But China remains the dominant player in the global solar sector, producing more than 580 terawatt-hours (TWh) of solar electricity in 2023, which was more than the next five countries combined. During that same year, the United States produced 238 TWh, as illustrated below.