First Solar to build new $330 million solar panel factory in South Carolina

First Solar announced November 14 that it would build a new solar panel factory in Gaffney, South Carolina, about 45 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. According to a company release, the $330 million factory will onshore final production of the company’s Series 6 Plus photovoltaic solar panels. First Solar estimates the new factory will create 600 new jobs in the area. Manufacturers at the plant will receive, on average, a $74,000 salary.

The company estimates the new factory, once at full capacity, will have an annual output of 3.7 gigawatts, bringing the company’s total annual nameplate capacity to 17.7 GW in 2027.

First Solar already has a stake in the Palmetto State in the form of a distribution center in Duncan, about 30 miles away from Gaffney, as well as an existing partnership with Inland Port Greer. Its other U.S. manufacturing sites are in Ohio, Louisiana, and Alabama. The new factory will take photovoltaic cells assembled internationally and assemble them into completed solar panels.

In a company statement, First Solar CEO Mark Widmar directly credited the Trump Administration for passing legislation to increase demand for domestically-made energy infrastructure, though the bill credited, The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also ended certain solar energy subsidies earlier than initially planned. First Solar has cheered Trump in the past, including breaking from the Solar Energy Industries Association to support tariffs during his first term despite the President’s occasional skepticism of solar energy’s viability.

What people are saying

“The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Administration’s trade policies boosted demand for American energy technology, requiring a timely, agile response that allows us to meet the moment,” said Mark Widmar, First Solar CEO. “We expect that this new facility will enable us to serve the U.S. market with technology that is compliant with the Act’s stringent provisions, within timelines that align with our customers’ objectives.”

“South Carolina is proud to be a destination for innovative energy companies that are powering our country with American technology,” said Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina. “First Solar's investment will create 600 new jobs in Cherokee County, which will greatly strengthen the local economy and help advance America's energy independence. Their expanded presence in our state will provide even more opportunities for hardworking South Carolinians.”

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