President Trump Slaps Tariffs on Solar Panels in Major Blow to Renewable Energy

[Khayembii Communique]

President Trump Slaps Tariffs on Solar Panels in Major Blow to Renewable Energy

In the biggest blow he’s dealt to the renewable energy industry yet, President Donald Trump decided on Monday to slap tariffs on imported solar panels.


The U.S. will impose duties of as much as 30 percent on solar equipment made abroad, a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80 percent of its supply. Just the mere threat of tariffs has shaken solar developers in recent months, with some hoarding panels and others stalling projects in anticipation of higher costs. The Solar Energy Industries Association has projected tens of thousands of job losses in a sector that employed 260,000.


The tariffs are just the latest action Trump has taken that undermine the economics of renewable energy. The administration has already decided to pull the U.S. out of the international Paris climate agreement, rolled back Obama-era regulations on power plant-emissions and passed sweeping tax reforms that constrained financing for solar and wind. The import taxes, however, will prove to be the most targeted strike on the industry yet.


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Not sure how anyone can support this or how it's even justifiable but I'm sure that we'll have a few people here chime in to support it.

 

[Ikari]

Gotta protect his big oil buddies.

 

[NeverTrump]

The tariffs are just the latest action Trump has taken that undermine the economics of renewable energy. The administration has already decided to pull the U.S. out of the international Paris climate agreement, rolled back Obama-era regulations on power plant-emissions and passed sweeping tax reforms that constrained financing for solar and wind. The import taxes, however, will prove to be the most targeted strike on the industry yet.

This is good, right?

 

[ttwtt78640]

President Trump Slaps Tariffs on Solar Panels in Major Blow to Renewable Energy

In the biggest blow he’s dealt to the renewable energy industry yet, President Donald Trump decided on Monday to slap tariffs on imported solar panels.


The U.S. will impose duties of as much as 30 percent on solar equipment made abroad, a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80 percent of its supply. Just the mere threat of tariffs has shaken solar developers in recent months, with some hoarding panels and others stalling projects in anticipation of higher costs. The Solar Energy Industries Association has projected tens of thousands of job losses in a sector that employed 260,000.


The tariffs are just the latest action Trump has taken that undermine the economics of renewable energy. The administration has already decided to pull the U.S. out of the international Paris climate agreement, rolled back Obama-era regulations on power plant-emissions and passed sweeping tax reforms that constrained financing for solar and wind. The import taxes, however, will prove to be the most targeted strike on the industry yet.


_____________


Not sure how anyone can support this or how it's even justifiable but I'm sure that we'll have a few people here chime in to support it.

Yep, the US solar industry was doing so well that it needs taxpayer subsidies to sell Chinese products.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-china-is-dominating-the-solar-industry/

Solar energy can't survive without massive subsidies | TheHill

 

[Gaius46]

Yep, the US solar industry was doing so well that it needs taxpayer subsidies to sell Chinese products.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-china-is-dominating-the-solar-industry/

I don't think that's all that uncommon for new technologies.

 

[Buzz62]

So lemme get this straight.
Some of you are upset, because your president is trying to grow American production of solar energy components?
Is that it?

 

[faithful_servant]

President Trump Slaps Tariffs on Solar Panels in Major Blow to Renewable Energy

In the biggest blow he’s dealt to the renewable energy industry yet, President Donald Trump decided on Monday to slap tariffs on imported solar panels.


The U.S. will impose duties of as much as 30 percent on solar equipment made abroad, a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80 percent of its supply. Just the mere threat of tariffs has shaken solar developers in recent months, with some hoarding panels and others stalling projects in anticipation of higher costs. The Solar Energy Industries Association has projected tens of thousands of job losses in a sector that employed 260,000.


The tariffs are just the latest action Trump has taken that undermine the economics of renewable energy. The administration has already decided to pull the U.S. out of the international Paris climate agreement, rolled back Obama-era regulations on power plant-emissions and passed sweeping tax reforms that constrained financing for solar and wind. The import taxes, however, will prove to be the most targeted strike on the industry yet.


_____________


Not sure how anyone can support this or how it's even justifiable but I'm sure that we'll have a few people here chime in to support it.

I can support it since solar panels are horrific for the environment. Every one of those solar cell farms has big battery arrays and the materials used in those battery arrays come from places that are incredibly harmful to the environment, not to mention the rare earths needed for high efficiency solar panels. Look at the most polluted places in the world and a lot of them are directly tied to the mining and processing of materials used in the panels and the battery arrays. Until we can stop this damage, we need to stop using these solar panels. It's kind of like telling companies that use child labor to produce their products that you refuse to buy from them until they change their policies.

Tianying, China - The World's Most Polluted Places - TIME
La Oroya, Peru - The World's Most Polluted Places - TIME
Norilsk, Russia - The World's Most Polluted Places - TIME
Kabwe, Zambia - The World's Most Polluted Places - TIME

 

[ttwtt78640]

I don't think that's all that uncommon for new technologies.

Define new. When, exactly, will solar panel subsidies end?

 

[DaveFagan]

So lemme get this straight.
Some of you are upset, because your president is trying to grow American production of solar energy components?
Is that it?

I'm not sure what's going on on your planet, but NO, it is about protecting the current Energy monopoly not invigorating the domestic Renewable market./

 

[Buzz62]

I'm not sure what's going on on your planet, but NO, it is about protecting the current Energy monopoly not invigorating the domestic Renewable market./

In your opinion. Did Trump say this is why he's doing this?

 

[sangha]

On the bright side, those unemployed workers in the solar industry will have much less money withheld by the Federal govt.

 

[Gaius46]

Define new. When, exactly, will solar panel subsidies end?

Assuming we as a society think that solar is a good idea we'd have to subsidize until the market is profitable without subsidies. Capitalism, for all its benefits really isn't that great at bringing alternative technologies to market - there's just too much risk for most sane people.

 

[Excon]

President Trump Slaps Tariffs on Solar Panels in Major Blow to Renewable Energy

In the biggest blow he’s dealt to the renewable energy industry yet, President Donald Trump decided on Monday to slap tariffs on imported solar panels.


The U.S. will impose duties of as much as 30 percent on solar equipment made abroad, a move that threatens to handicap a $28 billion industry that relies on parts made abroad for 80 percent of its supply. Just the mere threat of tariffs has shaken solar developers in recent months, with some hoarding panels and others stalling projects in anticipation of higher costs. The Solar Energy Industries Association has projected tens of thousands of job losses in a sector that employed 260,000.


The tariffs are just the latest action Trump has taken that undermine the economics of renewable energy. The administration has already decided to pull the U.S. out of the international Paris climate agreement, rolled back Obama-era regulations on power plant-emissions and passed sweeping tax reforms that constrained financing for solar and wind. The import taxes, however, will prove to be the most targeted strike on the industry yet.


_____________


Not sure how anyone can support this or how it's even justifiable but I'm sure that we'll have a few people here chime in to support it.

1. This isn't breaking News, it's from January

2.

Trump's solar tariff gamble pays off – for now

• Barely a week after President Donald Trump slapped a 30 percent tariff on Chinese-made solar panels, a major Chinese solar company has decided to build a plant in Florida.
• This proves that tariffs aren't necessarily bad for consumers or American workers.
• But the true test will be how many more foreign companies come to the U.S. without tariffs playing any role.

Well that was fast.

Barely one week after President Donald Trump announced a stiff 30 percent tariff on Chinese-made solar panels, a leading Chinese solar company announced plans to build a plant inside the United States.

[...]​

​

Trump's solar tariff gamble pays off – for now​

 

[ttwtt78640]

Assuming we as a society think that solar is a good idea we'd have to subsidize until the market is profitable without subsidies. Capitalism, for all its benefits really isn't that great at bringing alternative technologies to market - there's just too much risk for most sane people.

Hmm... what, exactly, is the "capitalist" incentive to become profitable without a subsidy when you can profit handsomely without doing so?

 

[cabse5]

On the bright side, those unemployed workers in the solar industry will have much less money withheld by the Federal govt.

Mebe American companies can commence to produce solar panels and said companies will sure pay a lot more to their workers than, for example, China?

 

[Lovebug]

Gotta protect his big oil buddies.

or American workers. At least that's what it seems to be. Obama/solar/China...Trump/solar/USA.

 

[Lovebug]

Assuming we as a society think that solar is a good idea we'd have to subsidize until the market is profitable without subsidies. Capitalism, for all its benefits really isn't that great at bringing alternative technologies to market - there's just too much risk for most sane people.

Very true. Alternative technology, once they work so that even the least fortunate of us can use them, are a great idea. Until then, keep what most of us can afford.

 

[Lovebug]

Hmm... what, exactly, is the "capitalist" incentive to become profitable without a subsidy when you can profit handsomely without doing so?

I think of it as change. Every new inventions comes at a higher cost until it can be produced at a rate most of us feel comfortable with. The glitch with it being made in China is that we have to borrow to afford even the cheap stuff. From whom? China.

 

[Anagram]

Moderator's Warning:

Moved from B/N as the article was from January

 

[sangha]

Mebe American companies can commence to produce solar panels and said companies will sure pay a lot more to their workers than, for example, China?

And then those new american companies will go broke because no one wants to pay more for those expensive solar panels.

 

[Critter7r]

Hmm... what, exactly, is the "capitalist" incentive to become profitable without a subsidy when you can profit handsomely without doing so?

Maybe we should check with the oil industry to see when they'll become profitable enough to stop accepting subsidies. You know, to get an idea of how long solar subsidies should continue.

 

[Lovebug]

And then those new american companies will go broke because no one wants to pay more for those expensive solar panels.

May be so, but without jobs, no one can pay for the cheap stuff either.

 

[ttwtt78640]

I think of it as change. Every new inventions comes at a higher cost until it can be produced at a rate most of us feel comfortable with. The glitch with it being made in China is that we have to borrow to afford even the cheap stuff. From whom? China.

The glitch is that we are subsidizing China who has 80% of the market.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Maybe we should check with the oil industry to see when they'll become profitable enough to stop accepting subsidies. You know, to get an idea of how long solar subsidies should continue.

That is precisely my point - once you have the feds in your pocket then the subsidies (and other special tax perks) will never end. The more that your industry makes then the more politicians that you can afford to buy (rent?) to keep that special treatment intact.

 

[<alt>doxygen]

That is precisely my point - once you have the feds in your pocket then the subsidies (and other special tax perks) will never end. The more that your industry makes then the more politicians that you can afford to buy (rent?) to keep that special treatment intact.

...and that describes the fossil fuel industry. And I'm sure Trump has no intention of taking subsidies they enjoy away. XOM has been insanely profitable for a long, long time.

I was planning to install solar 2 years from now. This certainly isn't the first policy or piece of legislation I've seen that causes me to reconsider that idea.