New Thin Film Solar Factory Pounds Another Nail In Coal Coffin

The article discusses the growing dominance of solar energy, particularly thin film solar technology, in the U.S. energy landscape, highlighting the efforts of the American company First Solar to expand domestic production. Thin film solar cells, which differ from traditional silicon-based cells by being produced through a solution-based process, enable lower-cost manufacturing and deployment. First Solar, a pioneer in cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film technology since the 1990s, is currently the only major solar manufacturer headquartered in the U.S. The company has recently opened a new factory in Alabama and announced plans for a new facility in Gaffney, South Carolina, aimed at increasing domestic solar module production capacity by 3.7 gigawatts to meet rising demand and comply with new U.S. manufacturing regulations. Despite recent federal policy shifts that have reduced solar tax credits and introduced restrictions on overseas supply chains, solar power remains the fastest-growing and most cost-competitive source of new grid capacity in the U.S. Renewable