The Biden administration released a fact sheet detailing several solar panel-related policies, including the elimination of a bifacial solar panel exemption that previously allowed certain solar panels to bypass the Trump-era 15% tariff. The reinstatement of this tariff is expected to increase the cost of commercial, industrial, and utility-scale solar projects by 1% to 2%.
To support the domestic solar panel assembly industry, the cap on imported solar cells under the Section 201 tariff is increased from 5 GW to 7.5 GW. This measure is intended to support the announced 125 GW of solar module assembly manufacturing capacity without inhibiting emerging solar cell production.
The administration also reiterated its focus on the solar industry and plans to continue to expand the manufacturing base. Some estimates suggest that there are currently more than 100 GW of solar panels stored in the United States, with more than 45 GW expected by the end of 2023.