South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Demings’ bill to up production of solar panels
The legislation would provide financial support for creating new plants for clean energy
With Orlando Utilities Commission and many other power providers in Florida and the world pivoting aggressively to rely on the sun for energy, one nation manufactures nearly three-quarters of all solar panels, China.
U.S. Rep. Val Demings of Orlando has filed legislation that would boost domestic production, easing dependency on the Asian producer and giving U.S. workers a bigger piece of what many expect to be a booming industry.
“My new legislation would make long-overdue investments in U.S.-based solar manufacturing, creating good new jobs and bringing down the cost of renewable energy as we fight to slow down climate change,” Demings said in a statement. She is running for U.S. Senate, seeking to replace Marco Rubio.
Orlando’s utility, OUC, alone is currently expanding its solar-energy capacity to provide for 50,000 homes by 2023. That will require nearly a half-million solar panels.
Other Florida utilities, including Florida Power & Light Co. and Duke Energy, also are pursuing installations of very large solar plants. In addition, Solar United Neighbors of Florida and other organizations are actively supporting the installation of solar systems on rooftops.
Solar energy has plunged in cost, becoming more affordable for utilities and homeowners and competitive with electricity generated with coal and natural gas. A race is underway globally for a new generation of batteries able to store solar-energy electricity for usage at night.
Demings’ legislation would bring financial support for constructing new plants that make solar-energy components and for upgrading existing production sites.
The bill, entitled “Reclaiming the Solar Supply Chain Act,” prioritizes projects that would bring the largest job creation and would lead to economic development in distressed regions.
If passed, the act would provide
$9.5 billion for the period of 2022 to
2026. The act also would prohibit factories from obtaining components produced with forced labor.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection prohibited the importation of solar panels from Chinese companies suspected of using forced labor.
“The expansion of the domestic solar supply chain is an important part of a just and equitable transition while we, as a part of the global community, accelerate the deployment of clean energy resources like solar,” said Bryan Jacob, solar program director at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
“The grants authorized by the Reclaiming the Solar Supply Chain Act would be valuable incentives for that kind of expansion,” Jacob said.
The Ultra Low-Carbon Solar Alliance, a group of solar-energy companies promoting clean-energy production of solar components, said Deming’s legislation could help leverage U.S. innovation for more sustainable manufacturing.
“Too many imported solar panels are made in supply chains with high carbon emissions,” said the alliance’s executive director, Michael Parr.
The alliance notes that production of solar panels in China results in excessive emissions of greenhouse gases because of that country’s heavy reliance on coal for generating the electricity needed to make solar panels.
Sierra Club and Environmental Defense fund also have endorsed the solar legislation.
Other Democratic representatives joining with Demings in introducing the bill are Debbie Dingell and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania.
“We have the best workforce in the world and a growing demand for clean energy,” Doyle said. “Making the investment that this legislation does would create good-paying jobs here at home while creating a cleaner economy.”