Solar panels seen at the Copper Mountain Solar 3 facility near Boulder City on Monday, April 22, 2019.
Nevada Appeal Capitol Bureau
Thursday, May 26, 2022
U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is asking for the Biden administration’s help in protecting Nevada’s solar industry jobs.
Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, said the Commerce Department investigation into solar panels is causing disruption in the industry because of concerns it could result in tariffs that threaten renewable progress and put jobs at risk. That could be devastating for Nevada which, she said, has the nation’s largest solar industry, supporting more jobs per capita than in any other state.
She said the Commerce Department investigation into imported solar panels is having “a chilling effect on the entire solar industry.”
As a result, she said, “in the solar industry right now, everything is on hold.”
Currently, some 80 percent of solar panels used in the U.S. are imported. While she said she strongly supports domestic manufacturing, a longer on-ramp is needed to ensure domestic manufacturers can get to the capacity needed.
She said the Commerce Department needs to swiftly resolve the issues and end the investigation into solar panels.
