As Senate Democrats continue negotiations over President Joe Biden’s US$1.75 trillion Build Back Better plan, Jules Scully looks at how the package could drive solar deployment and bolster domestic PV manufacturing.
The US House of Representatives has passed the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act, which aims to ban imports from China’s Xinjiang region, by an overwhelming 428-1 in a move that could have serious consequences for the country’s solar industry.
Solar modules sold in the European Union (EU) could be subject to lower value added tax (VAT) rates after an agreement was reached this week by finance ministers from across the bloc.
A US development agency has approved up to US$500 million of debt financing for First Solar to support the manufacturer in setting up a thin film module production plant in India.
The US and China will account for a combined 57% of total forecasted solar capacity additions through 2030, with the countries adding 151.3GW and 436.9GW of solar capacity, respectively. Both countries have risks to this development, however, with the US needing to overcome trade and tariff problems, while China needs to ensure the reliability of PV production
China’s National Energy Administration has kickstarted the second batch of large-scale wind and solar PV projects under the country’s multi-hundred-gigawatt desert renewables scheme.
New York authorities have finalised contracts for an US$11 billion infrastructure project comprising 1.8GW of solar and 2GW of wind capacity that would deliver energy from upstate to New York City.
Hit by soaring electricity prices and widespread power outages during a severe cold weather event earlier this year, Texas homeowners have been ramping up rooftop solar and battery storage installs to protect against future blackouts and increase their energy independence.
Global solar PV deployment is on track to grow by 17% this year in spite of surging commodity prices increasing manufacturing costs, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
