First Solar opens thin-film solar manufacturing faciliry in Lawrence County, AL

First Solar inaugurated its new $1.1B fully vertically integrated thin-film solar manufacturing facility in Lawrence County, Alabama. The facility, which adds 3.5 gigawatts GW of fully vertically integrated nameplate solar manufacturing capacity in the United States, is expected to create over 800 new energy technology manufacturing jobs in the state. “This represents a great day for First Solar and for Lawrence County because this production facility is destined to become a major player in the US renewable energy market,” said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. “Moreover, the Alabama workers at this facility will help break the nation’s dependence on foreign-made solar panels and contribute to our energy independence.” The Lawrence County facility along with First Solar’s three operating factories in Ohio brings the company’s domestic nameplate manufacturing capacity to almost 11 GW and its global capacity to over 21 GW, once fully ramped. First Solar, the largest fully vertically integrated solar manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere, is also constructing a $1.1B, 3.5 GW facility in Louisiana, which is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2025. The company expects to have over 14 GW of annual nameplate capacity in the United States and 25 GW globally by the end of 2026.