A bankrupt Georgia company is pushing to revive U.S. solar manufacturing with a trade case that’s headed for the president’s desk. The simmering dispute from Suniva stands a good chance of leading to import tariffs, but don’t expect that to bring the jobs back.
While at least six Asian solar companies say the prospect of trade barriers has them weighing the idea of opening factories in the U.S., they’re likely considering highly automated facilities that won’t need armies of workers.
Advanced manufacturing techniques and surging production, especially in China, have dragged down prices for solar modules and helped spur a global boom in clean power. The same factors are now making it harder for U.S. companies like Suniva to compete, and have transformed the employment landscape. It’s a pattern that’s been seen before, in auto factories, steel mills, coal mines and other industries, as increasingly automated production systems increase output with fewer workers.
“Lower costs in China have destroyed U.S. solar-industry jobs — that’s true,” Angelo Zino, a New York-based analyst at CFRA, said in an interview. “But while tariffs might compel Chinese manufacturers to open plants here, does that create an enormous amount of domestic jobs? Probably not.”