China dominates solar power supply chains, but the era of American energy dominance could change that.
Recent domestic manufacturing investments in the solar industry have totaled more than $40 billion since 2022, further unleashing the industry’s potential here at home. Solar has firmly cemented itself as a key part of our all-of-the-above energy strategy and has steadily grown in capacity over the past few years. Last year was a banner year for the industry as we installed more than 32 gigawatts of power, enough to power millions of American homes and businesses.
Still, China leads the world in solar panel manufacturing and can produce panels cheaper, in no small part due to poor labor standards in the country. In addition to manufacturing, China has installed more solar capacity than the rest of the world combined, a 210% increase from 2012 to the present. This market domination isn’t about environmental protection; rather, pursuing clean energy is a way for China to assert its influence on the world stage, demonstrated by the fact coal still accounts for about 60% of their electricity output.
Read more in RealClearEnergy here.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.
