First Solar Releases Study Analyzing Economic Impact

First Solar, Inc. released what is believed to be the first comprehensive economic analysis of a vertically integrated solar manufacturer’s value chain in the United States.

The study, commissioned by First Solar and conducted by the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, used IMPLAN economic software to analyze First Solar’s actual and forecasted US spending in 2023 and 2026 when the company expects to have 14 gigawatts (GW) of annual nameplate capacity across Alabama, Louisiana, and Ohio.

The study found that in 2023:
• First Solar supported an estimated 16,245 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the country, representing $1.59 billion in annual labor income. With 2,700 employees and almost $490 million in direct labor income, every non-construction First Solar job supported six direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the US economy, and every dollar directly spent on wages created $3.3 in labor income.

• The fully vertically integrated solar manufacturer, which exited 2023 with over 6 GW of annual nameplate capacity, added $2.75 billion in value and $5.32 billion in output to the US economy during the year, including direct, indirect, and induced effects.

• The company’s construction activity in Alabama, Louisiana, and Ohio supported an estimated 5,765 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, representing over $600 million in labor income. Its construction activity is estimated to have added over $900 million in economic value and almost $2 billion in economic output in 2023.

Analyzing First Solar’s forecasted US spending in 2026, the study projects that:
• With the company expected to directly employ 4,100 people, it would support an estimated 30,060 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the country in 2026. The study estimates that every First Solar job will support 7.3 jobs across the country, representing an estimated total labor income of $2.78 billion including direct, indirect, and induced effects.

• First Solar would add an estimated $4.99 billion in value and $10.18 billion in output to the US economy in 2026 alone. The findings are based on the company’s expectation that it will have 14 GW of operational nameplate capacity in the US in 2026 and include direct, indirect, and induced effects.

The study’s findings are unique to First Solar, which operates fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing facilities that produce thin film photovoltaic (PV) solar panels in a single process that integrates the manufacturing of wafers and cells. The process allows the company to transform a sheet of glass into a fully functional solar panel in approximately four hours.

Additionally, First Solar relies primarily on an American value chain for the raw materials, including glass and steel, that enable its US manufacturing operations.

“This report reflects the real value of solar technology made in America for America, with materials sourced from businesses across the country, and not simply assembled here using imported components,” said Mark Widmar, CEO, First Solar. “We know that our investments, catalyzed by the Inflation Reduction Act, are enabling jobs and bringing prosperity to communities in places such as Lawrence County, AL, Iberia Parish, LA, and Crawford County, PA, and this report helps quantify the extent of our contribution to the US economy in real terms.”

In addition to expanding its Ohio footprint to over 7 GW of annual nameplate capacity this year, the solar technology and manufacturing company expects to invest more than $2 billion in new manufacturing facilities in Alabama and Louisiana, which are expected to come online in 2024 and 2026, respectively.

Additionally, First Solar is investing up to $450 million in R&D infrastructure in Perrysburg, Ohio, which is expected to be operational in 2024.