ACORE Statement on Commerce Department’s Preliminary Decision in the Solar Tariff Inquiry – EQ Mag

Statement From Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE):

“The preliminary decision on solar tariffs from the Department of Commerce creates new challenges that threaten to undermine Biden administration efforts to address climate change and accelerate the clean energy transition. The U.S. solar industry was upended earlier this year when this tariff inquiry was launched, prompting more than 100 members of Congress to speak out in opposition and necessitating direct action by the White House to mitigate impacts. With today’s decision, the Commerce Department appears to be doubling down on constricting solar availability, and imposing massive new red tape with certification requirements that could further chill the industry and thwart the administration’s clean energy objectives. This is a major step backward at a time when there is finally hope the U.S. can get on the path toward a climate solution.

“The good news is that we look forward to the development of an enhanced domestic solar manufacturing base over the next few years, spurred in part by the incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act. But that will not happen overnight. Like most sectors of the American economy, the solar industry has a global supply chain and a business model that relies on stable policies and predictable pricing. Today’s decision will limit our ability to fortify our supply chain and reflects the dramatic shift from ‘free trade’ policies to protectionism in both parties. American consumers, and the effort to protect our climate, are unfortunately caught in the middle.”

About ACORE:

For more than 20 years, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has been the nation’s premier pan-renewable nonprofit organization. ACORE unites finance, policy, and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy.