If your main concern is *jobs*, import restrictions on solar panels are crazy. Even if you create a few manufacturing jobs, you lose way more installation jobs, which are far more numerous. @hannahritchie.bsky.social runs the numbers. - ThreadSky

volts.wtf • 25 days ago

If your main concern is *jobs*, import restrictions on solar panels are crazy. Even if you create a few manufacturing jobs, you lose way more installation jobs, which are far more numerous.

@hannahritchie.bsky.social runs the numbers.

Comments

bobmayo.com•25 days ago

They want more *oil* jobs.

chicagomom.bsky.social•25 days ago

This year, global wind & solar power generation will reach double the output of nuclear power.

“Solar PV capacity has been growing faster than all other electricity generation technologies combined since 2022.”

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/04/15/who-are-the-solar-and-wind-champions/

spencerwindes.bsky.social•25 days ago

It’s time for us to admit that Trump is in that narcissistic stage where he’s realized that actively causing harm will bring him the attention he needs most effectively. More people will watch a building burn than built, and Trump will happily wage destruction if his name is on everyone’s lips.

micarrdc.bsky.social•25 days ago

The problem with this analysis is that she assumes increased prices above Chinese imports will depress deployment. There simply isn't any evidence for that proposition. In a utility deployment, all of the manufactured goods are less than 20% of the cost (far less than that in residential).

fangz.bsky.social•25 days ago

Does this analysis hold with 3000% tariffs

micarrdc.bsky.social•25 days ago

1) nobody will pay that, the real tariffs are 100-150%
2) solar from SE Asia is being dumped at $.10 - $.15/W - less than cost of production
3) US manufactured solar is in the $.30 - $.45/W range
4) solar PPAs with panels in the $.40 - $.50 were bidding at around $.05/kWh a few years ago.

So, yes.

fangz.bsky.social•25 days ago

That's still a 20-30% increase in overall cost by your "20%" estimate.

fangz.bsky.social•25 days ago

It's dubious to say "they were willing to pay that before, so surely they will now", because the population that would go for solar installations at that previous price... Likely already bought solar panels at that price. Further tariffs are uncertain in duration so big incentive to defer.

micarrdc.bsky.social•25 days ago

I think your mental model here is a residential homeowner, that's less than 10% of the market, and module prices are effectively irrelevant there because they are such a small piece of the price (it's all "soft costs"). The market to look at is utility-scale/C&I, which is the price point I cited.

micarrdc.bsky.social•25 days ago

Other stuff, like interconnect queues and financing costs matter much more. Also solar is simply far cheaper and faster than alternatives. Even if solar equipment was $.40/Watt, as it was a few years ago and where U.S. manufacturers would be healthy, no reason to think deployment slows.

jeffjl54.bsky.social•25 days ago

Yet developers are wanting to use the cheaper solar panels over the more expensive US made ones.

You live in a Capitalist Society Mr Carr.

micarrdc.bsky.social•25 days ago

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. The report's fundamental assumption is that there will be less deployment if they have to pay prices they profitably paid a few years ago for domestic products. I'm saying there's no evidence for that assertion. Sure, they'd prefer to make more $$. So what?

ncirving2.bsky.social•25 days ago

Simple, the main concern is killing renewable energy.

nlewis1111.bsky.social•25 days ago

The Biden administration also supported tariffs against panels. Think they were wrong.

miastodont.bsky.social•25 days ago

And you get fewer kWs on top of that.

npcinnv.bsky.social•25 days ago

Setting aside Trump, who makes no sense, I understand the desire to preserve domestic panel manufacturing capacity. So directly subsidize those businesses or steer government contracts to them while still buying and deploying every below cost imported panel you can get your hands on. Seems obvious.

moritasgus.bsky.social•25 days ago

This, but for literally every industry

jeffjl54.bsky.social•25 days ago

Plus jobs supported by the cheaper power.

conejooaks.bsky.social•25 days ago

Yes! Seems so obvious. Glad someone ran the number. True of BYD-like EVs as well I assume

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