Sen. Ossoff’s “Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act” will create new tax credits to rapidly boost American solar manufacturing, accelerate the transition to clean energy, and support American energy independence
Legislation would create tens of thousands of American jobs
Georgia hosts largest solar manufacturer in Western Hemisphere
Sen. Ossoff continues to lead on clean energy, pushing for generational investment
Co-sponsored by Senators Warnock, Bennet, Stabenow
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff introduced the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act to rapidly boost American solar manufacturing, accelerate the transition to clean energy, and support American energy independence. Sen. Ossoff has focused on making Georgia a national leader in clean energy technology and the United States the world leader in clean energy.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
Demand for solar energy is skyrocketing as the world transitions away from fossil fuels, but China dominates the solar supply chain. Sen. Ossoff’s legislation will boost American solar to create American clean energy jobs, better compete with Chinese manufacturers, and support American energy independence.
The Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act would provide tax credits for American manufacturers at every stage of the solar manufacturing supply chain, from production of polysilicon to solar cells to fully assembled solar modules.
Sen. Ossoff’s office projects the legislation would create tens of thousands of American solar jobs, based on analysis and estimates from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
The Q CELLS plant in Dalton, Georgia, which produces solar panels and arrays, is the largest solar manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere.
“I’m working to boost American solar manufacturing and accelerate the transition to clean energy,” Sen. Ossoff said. “This bill will create tens of thousands of American jobs, support American energy independence, and accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.”
“This is exactly the kind of policy the United States needs to scale the solar manufacturing sector and compete on the world stage. This proposal would create tens of thousands of good-paying manufacturing jobs across America in places like our home of Dalton, Georgia,” said Scott Moskowitz, Director of Market Intelligence and Public Affairs at Hanwha Q CELLS North America. “Further, the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act will help to diversify the entire solar supply chain, increasing the United States’ energy security while allowing us to competitively meet domestic and global solar energy demand. Solar is the future and Senators Ossoff, Warnock, Stabenow and Bennet are paving the way to help make Georgia and the United States a world leader in clean energy manufacturing. We look forward to working with him to turn this into law.”
“I am proud to join my brother Senator Ossoff in co-sponsoring this important legislation that will bring good-paying jobs to Georgia, and help position our state to become a global leader in solar and clean energy technology,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “By creating tax incentives for every step of the solar manufacturing supply chain, we can pave the way for a greener tomorrow while lowering manufacturing costs and creating clean energy jobs. Georgia can help tackle the climate crisis head on, and I look forward to working with Senator Ossoff to make this bill law.”
“Colorado has led the way on solar power, demonstrating the clear economic benefits of investing in this industry,” said Sen. Bennet. “To compete on the global stage with countries like China, we should ensure long-term growth of America’s solar industry by supporting domestic solar manufacturing at every stage. This legislation is one of our best opportunities to create good-paying jobs, improve our infrastructure, and secure our supply chain all while tackling climate change. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this done.”
“Too much of our current solar power manufacturing is overseas. This makes no sense when we have some of the best workers in the world that can compete with anyone,” said Senator Stabenow. “Our bill doubles down on American-made solar products and their components so more of them are made here, while also helping us to address the climate crisis. It’s a win-win for Michigan.”
“As a Georgia-based solar energy company, we are thrilled to support Senator Ossoff’s forward-thinking legislation to boost domestic manufacturing of solar technology,” said Stan Allen, CEO of SolAmerica Energy. “It’s critically important for us as a nation to move toward clean energy solutions to protect our environment and create good-paying jobs, and Georgia is perfectly positioned to take advantage of solar as an energy source. We look forward to working with Senator Ossoff to pass this bill and help install solar energy across Georgia and the entire country.”
“We strongly support Senator Ossoff’s manufacturing proposal and commend his leadership on this critical topic,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “This legislation is an important step for spurring domestic manufacturing across all key elements of the solar supply chain and we look forward to helping it advance through Congress. In support of Senator Ossoff’s proposal, we are today setting a target of 50 gigawatts of annual domestic solar production capacity by 2030, including polysilicon, wafers, cells and modules, racking and trackers and inverters. It is time to seize the promise of American solar manufacturing.”
The bill is supported by Q-CELLS America, Hemlock Semiconductors, LG Electronics USA, REC Silicon ASA, Wacker Polysilicon North America, Sunnova Energy International Inc., First Solar, Mission Solar, Leading Edge Equipment Technologies, Auxin Solar, Swift Solar, 1366 Technologies, Silfab Solar, Heliene, and the Ultra Low Carbon Solar Alliance.
Click here to read the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act.
Click here for a fact sheet on the Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act.
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