Ohio

Global oversupply and a collapse in module prices are not good news for manufacturers. But the details are always more complex, and many of the factories planned for the United States appear to be staying the course.

The results of a 2021/2022 auction saw an additional 964 MW of utility-scale solar projects bidding in to supply capacity, suggesting a boom in solar.

The firm is building the $400 million factory, its for First Solar – and creating 500 construction jobs in the process

The thin film solar maker is also reviving its EPC division with a goal to build 1 GW of solar projects each year, as well as increasing its presence in O&M services.

The 1.2 GW factory will employ 500 workers. The new facility is expected to First Solar’s total capacity to 7.6 GW by the end of 2020.

Murray Energy lobbied on a bill to roll back renewable energy “mandates” in Ohio, while it fought for government intervention to bail out coal-fired power plants.

The thin film PV maker expects its new Series 6 PV module to begin mass production in Ohio in Q2 – with 1 GW expected to be manufactured globally in 2018. The company also increased its 2018 guidance.

When environmentalists and conservatives in Ohio agree on something, it’s noteworthy – and could finally shift the way solar policy is discussed in Columbus.

In this interview Mark Widmar talks about the market for PV modules and his company’s supply situation, First Solar’s position in the Section 201 case, and the role he sees for solar in the future of energy.

Despite a lack of support at the state level for a clean energy economy, Cincinnati is moving forward.