Page 13 - AsiaElec Week 17 2022

AsiaElec RENEWABLES AsiaElec

US probe into SE Asian

solar panel imports could

hold back US solar boom

ASIA THE US government’s investigation into The US industry is struggling against cheap
whether Southeast Asian solar panel manufac- imports as well as price rises and supply chain
turers are circumventing tariffs could reduce bottlenecks. The dispute pits two goals of the
domestic US solar installations by 46% in 2022 Biden administration against each other. The
and 2023, threatening both job numbers and the administration wants a robust US solar sector
competitiveness of the US solar industry. and also as fast a reduction in greenhouse gas
Research from the US trade body the Solar (GHG) emissions as possible.
Energy Industries Association (SEIA) warned The government’s move has been attacked by
that the probe could result in a drop of 24 GW of major panel installers as devastating the indus-
planned solar capacity over the next two years, try by increasing costs and undermining job
which is more solar than the industry installed growth. Projects could be delayed and jobs lost
in all of 2021. even while the case is being decided, says trade
This lost solar deployment will cause the US groups representing most of the US solar indus-
to emit an additional 364mn tonnes of carbon try, including panel installers.
dioxide by 2035, the SEIA warned. At stake are Meanwhile, a SEIA survey of 700 solar com-
the US government’s clean energy goals. panies found that a total of 318 projects account-
“If tariffs are imposed, in the blink of an eye ing for 51 GW of solar capacity and 6 GWh of
we’re going to lose 100,000 American solar work- attached battery storage were being cancelled or
ers and any hope of reaching the President’s clean delayed.
energy goals,” said SEIA president and CEO Abi- This means that $52bn of private investment
gail Ross Hopper. “This would be a monumen- is at risk. In addition, 70% of survey respondents
tal loss for our nation, which has the potential report that at least half their solar and storage
to lead our clean energy future, with the right workforce is at risk and more than 200 compa-
policies. Instead, the Commerce Department is nies report that their entire workforce is at risk.
on track to wipe out nearly half of all solar jobs “This case is destroying clean energy, and
and force a surrender on the President’s climate needlessly taking down American businesses
goals.” and workers in its wake,” added Ms. Hopper. “It’s
The solar industry’s response comes after unfathomable that the President would allow his
the Commerce Department on March 28 own administration’s actions to be the downfall
announced a probe into solar panels imported of his clean energy vision.”
from four Southeast Asian countries over the The report also warned that tariffs could
possibility that the panels are circumvent- cause capacity to fall 75 GW short of the pace
ing tariffs imposed to protect domestic US needed to achieve President Biden’s clean energy
manufacturing. goals by 2025.
The probe may lead to an expansion to The report detailed that US importers were
Southeast Asia of Obama-era tariffs on Chinese now complaining that many module suppliers
imports retroactive to March 28. They are cur- in four Southeast Asian nations had suspended
rently as high as 250%. exports to the US since the Commerce Depart-
The four countries produce some 80% of ment began its investigation in March.
solar modules expected to be imported into the The SEIA’s survey showed that 83% of
US in 2022, said the Wall Street Journal. 730 respondents have received an indication
The whole questions of tariffs on Chinese that their module supply has been delayed or
solar technology imports is crucial because of cancelled.™
the fast-growing solar industry and how much
it is dominated by China.

Week 17 27•April•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P13