What do solar power projects in Georgia, Maine, and Indiana have in common?
They're all delayed because an obscure, Koch-linked solar company filed a complaint that is stopping nearly half of America's planned solar projects from moving forward.
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"Georgia Power says nearly 1,000 megawatts of planned solar installations are now delayed by a year, as supply chain issues and a federal investigation into Chinese panel manufacturers hamper the company’s transition to renewable energy."
"U.S. utility NiSource Inc (NI.N) on Wednesday said it would delay the shutdown of an Indiana coal plant by two years because a federal investigation into solar panel imports has stalled development of renewable energy facilities meant to replace it."
Top climate officials in the Biden administration are warning that a federal investigation into alleged tariff dodging by Chinese suppliers has put the domestic solar industry in peril just as the US is trying to ramp up clean energy.
Some people were surprised to learn that solar installations are being delayed, but a lot of Twittarians responded to me on this thread about the delays that they're personally experiencing.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) asked: “Why is there no industry-supported threshold to initiate this anti-circumvention inquiry? There is a process that’s being utilized to keep tariffs [on solar panels] in place to the detriment of the industry by one small company.”
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Sen. Moran is one of two Republicans who signed a bipartisan letter to President Biden asking him to get to the bottom of the Auxin investigation.
The outcome of this innocuous Reuters story, "U.S. Commerce Department says it will investigate solar imports from four Asian countries," will cut solar power installations ACROSS AMERICA by 46% through the end of next year. #ExposeAuxin
Right when Americans are looking to make clean energy jobs and reduce our reliance on foreign energy supplies, this complaint causes a mandatory trade investigation and that could last all the way until April 2023 by law.
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An obscure solar energy firm linked to the Koch network threw a roadblock up at the Department of Commerce that is halting solar panel installation around the country.
Have you had trouble getting a solar panel installation recently?
"A survey in late April by the Solar Energy Industries Association, a non-profit trade association, found 318 solar projects in the US had already been delayed or canceled, and several CEOs told CNN they expect more to follow."
Instead, we'll see only 10 gigawatts installed, which is 63% less clean power.
"This year was supposed to be a banner year for US solar growth. Independent energy research firm Rystad estimated the US would add another 27 gigawatts of solar energy this year."
Ukrainian-born oligarch Len Blavatnik is an American citizen who was raised in Russia when it was the Soviet Union, according to his own biography in 2015.
Now, he's threatening news organizations that call him a Russian oligarch.