Regulation, Solar  -  May 18, 2022

Governors Seek End to Solar Tariff Case

A bipartisan group of 19 governors sent a letter urging the Biden administration to expedite its review of the anti-circumvention solar tariff case due to the recent decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to investigate solar products imported from Southeast Asia.

The signatories, ranging from governors of Arkansas and Indiana to Massachusetts and Oregon, note the significant market disruption caused by the case and its damaging impact on workers and businesses in their states. In total, the governors represent 19 states, one U.S. territory, and 43% of the total U.S. population.

“Governors understand the importance of reliable, low-cost clean energy, and this bipartisan letter highlights how disruptive the Commerce Department’s tariff investigation is for state economies, electric grids, and local workforces,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association said in a statement. “States have been leading the way on clean energy for years, and while federal efforts to curb climate change have stalled, the Biden administration is now standing in the way of state-level clean energy goals. “As a direct result of this baseless tariff case, the United States is now on track to install more solar under President Trump than President Biden. Each day that this case drags on puts President Biden’s vision for a strong clean energy economy out of reach. We urge the Commerce Department to issue a negative preliminary decision as soon as possible.”

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