First Solar Bets $4.5 Bn on US Manufacturing as Capacity Ramps Up to 18 GW

A new economic impact study released by First Solar, Inc. estimates that the company will operate approximately 18 gigawatts (GW) of annual nameplate solar module production capacity across six manufacturing facilities by 2027. These facilities are located across the US in Alabama, Louisiana, Ohio, and South Carolin. It claims that its US capital investments have supported an estimated 10,370 additional direct, indirect, and induced jobs in 2025. 

In a press release, First Solar explained that most of these jobs were tied to construction activity and generated nearly $900 million in labor income, contributing an additional $1.6 billion to US GDP. The company will also share its Q4 FY25 financial results today, which are expected to provide a broader picture of the company’s financial structure, accompanying its manufacturing scalability.

First Solar has manufactured in the United States since 2002 and operates the largest solar technology manufacturing and research and development (R&D) footprint in the Western Hemisphere. It has five operational manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Ohio, and a sixth plant under construction in South Carolina, which is expected to begin operations in the second half of 2026.

The new South Carolina facility is expected to increase First Solar’s capacity to produce American-made solar technology by 3.7 GW. Altogether, the company will have invested approximately $4.5 billion in American manufacturing and R&D infrastructure since 2019.

First Solar’s US Economic Contribution Seen Rising 28% to $7.8 Bn by 2027

The latest analysis is based on research developed by the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, using IMPLAN economic modeling software, and analyzed First Solar’s actual and forecasted US spending in 2025 and 2027.

First Solar contributed an estimated $5.8 billion in direct, indirect, and induced value to the US economy in 2025. Its annual contribution to US gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to increase 28 percent to approximately $7.8 billion in 2027.

First Solar Projects to Support $4 Bn in Annual Labor Income by 2027

By 2027, First Solar projections are expected to support 39,320 jobs and approximately $4 billion in annual labor income, inclusive of direct, indirect, and induced effects, representing an increase of almost 10,000 jobs and $1 billion in labor income between 2025 and 2027.

Vertically Integrated Thin-Film Plants Drive First Solar’s US Manufacturing Edge

The study’s findings are unique to First Solar, which operates fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing facilities that produce thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar panels in a single process that integrates the manufacturing of wafers and cells. This process allows the company to transform a sheet of glass into a fully functional solar panel in approximately four hours. Additionally, First Solar relies primarily on an American value chain for raw materials, including glass and steel, that enable its US manufacturing operations.