SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
SolarCraft workers install solar panels on the roof of a home on February 26, 2015 in San Rafael, California. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
'Reckless': Trump Deals Blow to Renewable Transition With Solar Panel Tariff
"Tens of thousands of jobs in the solar sector could be stamped out, and it could hurt momentum at a time when we need to massively ramp up clean energy to reduce carbon emissions."
Jan 23, 2018
Dealing a serious blow to the U.S. solar industry and despite protests from experts and a national trade group, President Donald Trump has approved a 30 percent tariff on imported solar panel materials.
"With Americans in Puerto Rico and Houston still struggling to recover from climate disasters, Trump should be supporting renewable energy rather than making it more costly."
--Howard Crystal, CBDResponding to recommendations from the U.S. International Trade Commission, which was lobbied by two foreign-owned U.S.-based companies that argued they couldn't compete with cheap materials from Asia, Trump on Monday authorized (pdf) a 30 percent tariff on solar cells and modules that will drop by 5 percent annually over the next four years.
U.S. solar companies, environmentalists, and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) decried the "reckless decision" that they warned, in the government's effort to "keep foreign-owned Suniva and SolarWorld afloat," will not only further endanger the planet but also "create a crisis in a part of our economy that has been thriving, which will ultimately cost tens of thousands of hard-working, blue-collar Americans their jobs."
\u201cThis decision will cause roughly 23,000 American jobs to be lost this year, including many in manufacturing, and will cancel of billions of dollars in investments in the U.S. economy. #SaveSolarJobs\u201d— Solar Industry (@Solar Industry) 1516660797
"President Trump says his intention is to save jobs, but the specifics show this decision is a job killer," said John Rogers, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Tens of thousands of jobs in the solar sector could be stamped out, and it could hurt momentum at a time when we need to massively ramp up clean energy to reduce carbon emissions."
\u201cTrump imposes 30% tariff on imported solar panels--one more effort to try and slow renewable energy, one more favor for the status quo\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1516657804
"If Trump really wants to put America first, he should reduce our reliance on polluting energy sources that fuel climate change," declared Howard Crystal, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). "With Americans in Puerto Rico and Houston still struggling to recover from climate disasters, Trump should be supporting renewable energy rather than making it more costly."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Dealing a serious blow to the U.S. solar industry and despite protests from experts and a national trade group, President Donald Trump has approved a 30 percent tariff on imported solar panel materials.
"With Americans in Puerto Rico and Houston still struggling to recover from climate disasters, Trump should be supporting renewable energy rather than making it more costly."
--Howard Crystal, CBDResponding to recommendations from the U.S. International Trade Commission, which was lobbied by two foreign-owned U.S.-based companies that argued they couldn't compete with cheap materials from Asia, Trump on Monday authorized (pdf) a 30 percent tariff on solar cells and modules that will drop by 5 percent annually over the next four years.
U.S. solar companies, environmentalists, and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) decried the "reckless decision" that they warned, in the government's effort to "keep foreign-owned Suniva and SolarWorld afloat," will not only further endanger the planet but also "create a crisis in a part of our economy that has been thriving, which will ultimately cost tens of thousands of hard-working, blue-collar Americans their jobs."
\u201cThis decision will cause roughly 23,000 American jobs to be lost this year, including many in manufacturing, and will cancel of billions of dollars in investments in the U.S. economy. #SaveSolarJobs\u201d— Solar Industry (@Solar Industry) 1516660797
"President Trump says his intention is to save jobs, but the specifics show this decision is a job killer," said John Rogers, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Tens of thousands of jobs in the solar sector could be stamped out, and it could hurt momentum at a time when we need to massively ramp up clean energy to reduce carbon emissions."
\u201cTrump imposes 30% tariff on imported solar panels--one more effort to try and slow renewable energy, one more favor for the status quo\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1516657804
"If Trump really wants to put America first, he should reduce our reliance on polluting energy sources that fuel climate change," declared Howard Crystal, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). "With Americans in Puerto Rico and Houston still struggling to recover from climate disasters, Trump should be supporting renewable energy rather than making it more costly."
Dealing a serious blow to the U.S. solar industry and despite protests from experts and a national trade group, President Donald Trump has approved a 30 percent tariff on imported solar panel materials.
"With Americans in Puerto Rico and Houston still struggling to recover from climate disasters, Trump should be supporting renewable energy rather than making it more costly."
--Howard Crystal, CBDResponding to recommendations from the U.S. International Trade Commission, which was lobbied by two foreign-owned U.S.-based companies that argued they couldn't compete with cheap materials from Asia, Trump on Monday authorized (pdf) a 30 percent tariff on solar cells and modules that will drop by 5 percent annually over the next four years.
U.S. solar companies, environmentalists, and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) decried the "reckless decision" that they warned, in the government's effort to "keep foreign-owned Suniva and SolarWorld afloat," will not only further endanger the planet but also "create a crisis in a part of our economy that has been thriving, which will ultimately cost tens of thousands of hard-working, blue-collar Americans their jobs."
\u201cThis decision will cause roughly 23,000 American jobs to be lost this year, including many in manufacturing, and will cancel of billions of dollars in investments in the U.S. economy. #SaveSolarJobs\u201d— Solar Industry (@Solar Industry) 1516660797
"President Trump says his intention is to save jobs, but the specifics show this decision is a job killer," said John Rogers, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Tens of thousands of jobs in the solar sector could be stamped out, and it could hurt momentum at a time when we need to massively ramp up clean energy to reduce carbon emissions."
\u201cTrump imposes 30% tariff on imported solar panels--one more effort to try and slow renewable energy, one more favor for the status quo\u201d— Bill McKibben (@Bill McKibben) 1516657804
"If Trump really wants to put America first, he should reduce our reliance on polluting energy sources that fuel climate change," declared Howard Crystal, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). "With Americans in Puerto Rico and Houston still struggling to recover from climate disasters, Trump should be supporting renewable energy rather than making it more costly."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.