Biden’s Solar Plans Run Into a Chinese Wall
A little-known solar-panel maker in San Jose has illuminated a difficult dilemma at the heart of the president’s green agenda.
Some imported solar panels come with hidden costs.
Photographer: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty ImagesA new and unexpected obstacle to President Joe Biden’s green ambitions has emerged: a tiny solar-power company based in San Jose.
Auxin Solar Inc., which accounts for all of 2% of U.S. solar-module manufacturing, recently persuaded the Commerce Department to open a potentially devastating trade inquiry. After the U.S. imposed anti-dumping measures against Chinese solar-cell and module manufacturers just over a decade ago, alternative suppliers sprang up in South Korea and Southeast Asia. Auxin now contends that those other Asian suppliers are effectively used by Chinese companies to circumvent the anti-dumping measures.