News: Photovoltaics
2 March 2026
First Solar’s US GDP contribution to grow from $5.8bn in 2025 to $7.8bn in 2027
A new economic impact study released by cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA details its estimated contributions to the US economy. Using IMPLAN economic modeling software, the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette analyzed First Solar’s actual and forecasted US spending in 2025 and 2027. The firm expects to operate about 18GW of annual nameplate solar module production capacity across six manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, Ohio and South Carolina by 2027.
Key findings included:
- First Solar’s US operations supported an estimated 29,605 direct, indirect and induced jobs nationwide in 2025, representing about $3bn in labor income — a fully loaded average of $101,145 per worker, which is more than double the national median personal income. This data does not include downstream impacts such as the development, construction and maintenance of solar power plants using First Solar’s technology.
- By 2027, the firm is projected to support 39,320 jobs and about $4bn in annual labor income, inclusive of direct, indirect and induced effects, representing an increase of almost 10,000 jobs and $1bn in labor income between 2025 and 2027.
- In 2025, every First Solar job supported an estimated six direct, indirect and induced jobs. This number is in line with the large impacts documented in 2023 and based on projections would have a similar multiplier when looking ahead to 2027. By comparison, the National Association of Manufacturers estimates that every manufacturing job supports 4.8 jobs in the overall US economy.
- First Solar contributed an estimated $5.8bn in direct, indirect and induced value to the US economy in 2025. Its annual contribution to US gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to increase 28% to about $7.8bn in 2027.
- First Solar’s US capital investments supported an estimated 10,370 additional direct, indirect and induced jobs in 2025 — primarily tied to construction activity — representing nearly $900m in labor income and contributing and additional $1.6bn to US GDP.
“This study demonstrates how genuinely American solar manufacturing can deliver long-term economic value at the intersection of national priorities such as energy dominance, affordable electricity, and economic prosperity,” says CEO Mark Widmar. “We’re proud to contribute to America’s reindustrialization through our manufacturing and supply chain investments, as our technology works alongside all other forms of energy generation to produce affordable, reliable electricity to power growth and prosperity.”
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 about 4 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.
The study’s release follows the results of a recent national poll conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates for First Solar, which found widespread support for solar energy among Republicans, Republican‑leaning independents, and voters who supported President Donald J. Trump (GOP+). Among the 800 GOP+ voters surveyed, support for utility-scale solar rose to as much as 70% when the panels are American-made, and 51% said they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports an American company building a solar panel manufacturing plant in the USA.
Having manufactured in the USA since 2002, First Solar operates the largest solar technology manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere, with five operational manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Louisiana and Ohio, and a sixth plant under construction in South Carolina, which is expected to begin operation in second-half 2026. The new South Carolina facility is expected to increase First Solar’s capacity to produce American-made solar technology by 3.7GW, with the firm reaching about 18GW of annual nameplate capacity in 2027. Altogether, the firm will have invested aboout $4.5bn in American manufacturing and R&D infrastructure since 2019.
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