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May 13 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
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.

THREAD of THREADS

1/washingtonpost.com/business/2022/…
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.

2/
A small firm linked to the Koch political operation named #ExposeAuxin Solar in San Jose, California, filed the complaint.

3/
The CEO of #ExposeAuxin is using a Koch PR firm and some disingenuous talking points about buying American when domestic suppliers are not able to quickly add enough capacity to meet demand, including his own company.

4/
Now, solar projects in states all across the country are stalled. Coal plants are staying open. It's a mess. Governors in multiple states are concerned. The Department of Commerce doesn't have any discretion to end the investigation before August.

5/x

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More from @grantstern

Grant Stern is boosted! Profile picture
May 12
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.

1/
"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."

2/ ajc.com/news/supply-ch…
"Just across a long fence, there's a bigger project that would deliver electricity to Maine consumers at a price that's better still.

'Right now most of the panel manufacturers aren't actually taking orders,' Azevedo says."

3/ npr.org/2022/05/11/109…
Read 5 tweets
Grant Stern is boosted! Profile picture
May 12
Are you trying to install solar energy at your home and running into "supply chain" issues?

It's not covid anymore.

It's a law forcing the Department of Commerce to investigate potentially devastating tariffs on solar panels.

#ExposeAuxin

1/
thehill.com/policy/energy-…
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.”

2/
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.

3/ ImageImageImageImage
Read 5 tweets
Grant Stern is boosted! Profile picture
May 11
MINI-THREAD

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

1/
reuters.com/business/us-co…
The CEO of Auxin, who filed the complaint says people should just buy American solar instead. His company is linked to the Koch brothers.

As this Reuters video explains, there's no way to expand capacity that quickly.

2/
reuters.com/legal/governme…
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.

3/
Read 5 tweets
Grant Stern is boosted! Profile picture
May 10
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?

LMK.

#ExposeAuxin
cnn.com/2022/05/06/pol…
That is a LOT of cancellations.

"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."

#ExposeAuxin

2/
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."

#ExposeAuxin

3/
Read 5 tweets
Grant Stern is boosted! Profile picture
Mar 23
THREAD 🧵🧵🧵

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.

web.archive.org/web/2015051703… Image
In March 2013, Blavatnik and his partners in the A.A.R. Consortium sold their shares in the TNK-BP oil company to the Russian government.

Russia paid him $7 billion in the deal. Forbes published a screenshot of the wire.

forbes.com/sites/nathanva…
Who was A.A.R. Consortium?

Alfa Group - Mikhail Fridman, Peter Aven, and German Khan (Sanctioned by US Treasury Dept.: 2/24/22)

Access Industries - Blavatnik's company

Renova - Viktor Vekselberg's company (Sanctioned by US Treasury Dept.: 4/6/2018)
Read 8 tweets
Grant Stern is boosted! Profile picture
Jan 22
House Dems passed the Freedom to Vote and John Lewis Acts ten days ago.

It contains reasonable, national standards for Voter ID.

House GOP Rep. @CarlosGimenezFL voted against it.

Here he is at the Ritz LYING about his vote.

Carlos Gimemez is a liar.

Receipts 1/2

clerk.house.gov/Votes/20229
Receipts 2/2

congress.gov/bill/117th-con…
Read 4 tweets

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