DOE invests $71 million to fund 18 projects to advance U.S. solar manufacturing
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $71 million to fund 18 projects in 10 states to help grow the network of domestic manufacturers across the U.S. solar energy supply chain. The funding, which includes $16 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be used to support projects that will aid U.S. solar manufacturing capacity, including equipment, silicon ingots and wafers, and both silicon and thin-film solar cell manufacturing. Additionally, these projects are designed to introduce solar technologies to new markets.
According to the department, three of the projects hope to bring silicon wafer and cell manufacturing onshore, while seven projects will work to advance dual-use PV technologies to harness their potential to electrify buildings. Of the remaining eight projects, four will work to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and bolster the supply chain for CdTe systems, and four will prove out tandem PV devices that pair established PV technologies with perovskites.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, “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. 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 U.S.A.”
DOE in the news
35 projects received $1.93 billion in tax credits to accelerate clean energy manufacturing
The projects, which are located in 20 states, address a range of needs across the clean energy economy.
DOE offers $48 million in funding to accelerate offshore wind manufacturing and R&D
The funding will be used for both floating and fixed-bottom offshore wind technologies for deployment off both coasts.
DOE allots $44 million to help make the electric grid more sustainable and reliable
The projects are designed to help grid planners and operators implement new technologies that allow the grid to be more flexible and resilient to changes.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
Connect with Alexis on LinkedIn
