READOUT: Heinrich Meets With New Mexico Solar Industry Leaders Amid Potential, Harmful Tariffs

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) met with New Mexico solar industry leaders to hear how a recently filed solar tariff petition with the Department of Commerce (Commerce) would severely harm the state’s solar industry and the hard-working New Mexicans that support it.

PHOTOS: Heinrich Meets With New Mexico Solar Companies To Discuss Potential, Harmful Tariffs

During the meeting, state industry leaders expressed how the latest solar tariff petition is already disrupting New Mexico’s solar industry and undermining the state’s ability to meet its clean energy and climate goals. Developers need to forecast expenses one to two years in advance, but are now unable to accurately project the cost of major projects.

Last year, imports from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia accounted for more than 80% of all crystalline silicon photovoltaic (CSPV) solar panels and cell imports and nearly 60% of total U.S. panel supply. New tariffs on solar products from these four countries would stall many ongoing and planned U.S. solar projects, negatively impacting every segment of the U.S. solar industry and resulting in significant job losses. In particular, the tariffs would have direct impact on the almost 90% of solar jobs in the United States that are not in the manufacturing sector.

Senator Heinrich has expressed that these proposed tariffs risk harming hundreds of locally-owned companies, jeopardizing tens of thousands of jobs, and stifling billions of dollars in investment in communities in New Mexico and across the country. 

Senator Heinrich recently joined U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-N.V.) to lead a bipartisan group of senators in a letter to the Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urging the Department to carefully assess the validity of the petition. Read the full letter here. 

Senator Heinrich, an ardent champion in the clean energy transition, has a long-standing history of fighting tariffs that risk harming New Mexico’s solar industry. Additional resources below.

Key attendees of the meeting included:

• Ryan Centerwall, CEO of Affordable Solar
• Erica Brinker, Chief Commercial Officer of Array Technologies
• Thomas de Swardt, Chief Commercial Officer at D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI)
• Rikki Seguin, Executive Director of Interwest Energy Alliance

Additional resources:

• Heinrich, Rosen Lead Bipartisan Letter Urging Commerce Secretary To Stop Threat of Additional Tariffs On Solar Imports
• Heinrich, Senate Democratic Colleagues Urge Incoming Biden Admin To Repeal Harmful Solar Tariffs Set By President Trump
• Heinrich, Heller Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Repeal Trump Tariffs On Solar Panels Heinrich Slams Solar Tariff Decision
• Heinrich Testifies Before U.S. Trade Representative On Tariffs That Would Harm Solar Industry
• Heinrich Testifies Before U.S. International Trade Commission On Tariffs That Would Harm Solar Industry
• Heinrich, Tillis Statement On U.S. International Trade Commission’s Ruling That Will Harm Solar Industry
• Heinrich, Tillis Lead Letter To U.S. International Trade Commission Opposing Tariffs That Would Harm Solar Industry