The solar industry created one out of every 50 new jobs in the U.S. in 2016. It is growing almost 17 times as fast as the national economy, making it the fastest-growing industry in the country. By any measure, the solar industry is one of the most impressive contributors to U.S. economic growth.
But thanks to a trade case from two foreign-owned solar panel manufacturers that has reached the president’s desk, solar’s upward trajectory is at risk, and with it tens of thousands of American jobs. The case proposes substantial trade restrictions on foreign-made solar panels, ostensibly in order to bolster solar panel manufacturing in the U.S.
As a vocal proponent of domestic manufacturing, the president would naturally seem to be in favor of import tariffs. But he shouldn’t be in this case. The potential small gains in jobs from solar panel manufacturing will be greatly overshadowed by the massive U.S. job losses that will occur as a result.
I bring a unique perspective to this debate. I’ve been a Republican my entire life, and I currently live in Utah, a historically red state, where I lead one of the largest residential solar providers in the country. Like the president, I am a firm believer in a free market economy and U.S. job growth.
For this reason, my company and virtually every other residential and utility solar provider, source our solar panels from overseas. This approach has enabled my company to create over 4,000 well-paying U.S.-based jobs across 21 states over the last six years.
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01.22.2025