At the Solar – Made in the USA 2025 panel at RE+ 2025, which TaiyangNews co-organized with EUPD Research, leading voices from the US solar industry discussed the current state of US solar manufacturing, market dynamics, and policy developments.
In conversation with the moderators – TaiyangNews Managing Director Michael Schmela and Clean Energy Associates Senior Policy Analyst Christian Roselund – the panelists deliberated on possibilities for saving the US solar manufacturing renaissance in today’s adversary policy environment.
American Clean Power Association (ACP) VP Supply Chain and Manufacturing MJ Shiao shared that, although imports remain significant in the scheme of things, US solar manufacturing is expanding, with some components now 70% to 80% domestically produced. Yet, it’s still seen as China-dominated. He argued that perception is outdated. The industry, he explained, calls for stronger investment in US manufacturing.
Regarding the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), there still remains uncertainty, as the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with its broad discretion on the subject, is currently understaffed, thus creating risks for solar imports.
Wood Mackenzie’s Solar Module Supply Chain Analyst, Elissa Pierce, projects flat or slightly declining solar installation growth in the US market through 2030, citing high interest rates, long lead times, and supply bottlenecks, despite adequate module availability. She stressed that a lot depends on the outcome of the Section 232 investigation into imported polysilicon, having previously called it the biggest challenge for the US solar industry (see Wood Mackenzie Calls Section 232 US Solar’s Biggest Challenge).
Smirnow Law Principal John Smirnow believes it would be unfair to pin all the challenges in the US solar industry solely on the Trump administration. Supply chain challenges, for instance, were already there. On the other hand, protectionist measures to boost domestic content requirements will work in favor of local manufacturers and can also provide them a competitive edge.
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) SVP Supply Chain & Trade, Stacy J. Ettinger, called on the industry to plan for potential detentions, audits, and delays. While talking about the support that the association is offering its members in this complex regulatory environment and legal challenges, she called for both the manufacturing and development sides to work together to deal with the market dynamics, even beyond the 2-year reprieve.
The panelists also unanimously stressed the importance of a fair competitive environment to support emerging technologies, which could otherwise be crowded out by low-cost, large-scale products.
A conference summary of the entire event is available here.
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