The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a large investment to support the nation’s solar energy supply chain. A total of $71 million will be used for eighteen chosen projects in the field, which will be performed by energy labs in ten states across the country.
The investment follows President Biden’s Investing in America initiatives. A majority of federal funds for this agenda have been sanctioned to clean energy fields. Solar power is the most economical energy source, and it’s also a critical component in the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal for the US to achieve net-zero emissions in the next 30 years.
The Investment
On 17 May 2024, the news of the investment was released. The total of $71 million includes $16 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The eighteen chosen projects that will be supported include focuses on research, development, and manufacturing.
The funds will support existing endeavors and create new markets as higher technological needs arise. These include dual-use photovoltaic applications, both building-integrated and agrivoltaics. These practices are known as “co-location” and involve the multi-use of space that solar panels occupy, like farming the land underneath the panels.
The Projects
The chosen projects will boost solar innovations, such as dual-use photovoltaic technology, thin-film technology, and silicon chip manufacturing. Production can increase, processes can be made more efficient, jobs will be created, systems improved, and supply chains simplified.
From California to New Hampshire, ten different states house the companies that will receive funding from the investment. Projects will take place at American businesses like Silfab Solar Cells, GAF Energy, First Solar, and more.
The highest investment allotment is being awarded to First Solar of Tempe, Arizona, and Perrysburg, Ohio, for a combined total of $15 million. First Solar is the largest solar PV manufacturer in the United States and ranks among the top 10 global producers.
Federal Support
Nearly four years ago, President Biden issued the Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, a part of which included the Justice40 Initiative. This program aims to utilize 40% of benefits derived from specific Federal investments to directly support disadvantaged communities.
The US Secretary of Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm, remarked on the government’s commitment to clean energy in her statement: “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to building an American-made solar supply chain that boosts innovation, drives down costs for families, and delivers jobs across the nation.”
Supporting a Clean Energy America
Through domestic efforts like Investing in America and the Justice40 Initiative, we continue to advance towards a better, cleaner, nation. As the DOE fosters funding programs and supply chain reviews to keep the forward momentum, domestic businesses are supported, and the United States strengthens its resilience.
Secretary Granholm continued in her remarks, “Thanks to historic funding and actions from the President’s clean energy agenda, we’re able to deploy more solar power – the cheapest form of energy – to millions more Americans with panels stamped made in the USA.”
