Clean manufacturing tax credits are on the chopping block in the ongoing U.S. budget battle, but their usefulness cannot be questioned without perpetuating a willful ignorance of the domestic manufacturing renaissance that has taken root in the years following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Whether our elected officials choose to shorten the runways of those incentives, revoke them entirely, or otherwise tamper with them in favor of fossil fuel interests, it is an undeniable fact that the most significant piece of infrastructure legislation since the New Deal has lived up to its billing, fueling a cleantech revolution that now serves as the red, white, and blue’s best shot of satisfying the electric load growth coming down the pike.
Solar manufacturing, in particular, is flourishing throughout the United States; Heliene is opening new lines in Minnesota, Hanwha Qcells is adding to its sprawling end-to-end solar park in Georgia, First Solar is expanding into Alabama, and the list goes on.
Earlier this year, the first (albeit fragile) made-in-the-USA solar supply chain was established. Two recent announcements offer to strengthen it significantly.
Bila Solar Making Modules in Indy
In August 2023, Bila Solar, a Singapore-based solar panel manufacturer with a U.S. headquarters in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, announced plans to invest at least $35 million into a 157,000-square-foot module manufacturing facility in Indy, capitalizing on the incentives offered by the IRA.
Less than two years later, that plant is pumping out product.
Bila Solar announced Monday that it has begun producing its new line of domestic content solar modules at its Indianapolis factory, marking the company’s entry into full-scale U.S. manufacturing. Bila Solar uses American-made solar cells from Greenwood, South Carolina-based ES Foundry to construct a reliable domestic supply chain for high-efficiency panels. The facility is Central Indiana’s first solar panel factory.
“This is a pivotal moment not just for Bila Solar, but for the entire U.S. clean energy industry,” said Mick McDaniel, vice president and general manager of Bila Solar. “Our Indianapolis facility proves the power of smart, forward-looking policies that bring manufacturing back home. We’re proud to contribute to strengthening our domestic supply chain, creating good-paying jobs, and advancing American energy independence.”
Bila Solar’s Indianapolis facility, retrofitted from a former Eli Lilly building, is now producing both ultra-lightweight solar modules and the company’s newly launched 550W dual-glass conventional panels. Production began last week, with initial output focused on ground-mount fixed-tilt and carport applications. Bila Solar aims to reach 300 megawatts (MW) of annual capacity in Phase 1, scaling up to 1 gigawatt (GW) at full buildout.
The new product line uses the aforementioned U.S.-made solar cells and qualifies for the 10% domestic content bonus under the current federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), an added value that benefits developers and EPCs. Bila Solar believes that by driving local economic growth and providing developers with trusted, high-quality domestic content, this facility highlights the impact of policies that support U.S. clean energy growth, despite ongoing political challenges. The factory is expected to create more than 75 advanced manufacturing jobs this year, helping develop critical clean-tech workforce skills and boosting the region’s economy.
According to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q2 2025 report released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, the industry added 8.6 GW of new solar module manufacturing capacity in the first quarter of 2025, marking the third-largest quarter for new manufacturing capacity in U.S. history and proving the resilience of the industry in the face of federal headwinds.
“Proposed legislation in Congress could upend a thriving U.S. solar industry, which is reviving American manufacturing, lowering electricity costs, and generating hundreds of thousands of jobs and tens of billions of dollars of investments, primarily in states that voted for President Trump,” pointed out SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “Bila Solar’s investment in Indiana is proof of what is possible when we maintain the right policies that boost domestic manufacturing. Washington must make the right decisions now to ensure we can continue to lead the world in solar manufacturing and innovation.”
Recent analysis from the BlueGreen Alliance suggests repealing the clean manufacturing tax credits puts over two million jobs at risk.
Texas Cell Site Names Preconstruction Contractor
T1 Energy, an energy solutions provider building an integrated U.S. supply chain for solar and batteries, announced the selection of Yates Construction as contractor for preconstruction services and site preparations for its planned $850 million, G2_Austin 5 GW Solar Cell Facility.
According to T1 Energy, formerly known as FREYR Battery, the project is enabled by “the Trump Administration’s tariffs and other policies supporting American advanced manufacturing, jobs, and energy dominance.”
The Commissioners of Milam County, Texas, unanimously voted to provide T1 Energy with a long-term tax abatement package, contingent upon meeting or exceeding specific employment and investment thresholds at the facility. The Austin cell plant is expected to begin producing cells by the end of 2026, creating up to 1,800 full-time jobs.
G2_Austin is a key component of T1’s strategy to build a domestic solar and battery supply chain for the sake of scalable, reliable, and low-cost energy. In conjunction with the company’s fully operational G1_Dallas 5 GW Solar Module Facility, T1 plans to address unmet customer demand for U.S.-made solar cells and modules utilizing TOPCon technology.
“Solar energy is a foundational part of American power grids. Our facilities will manufacture solar cells and modules to invigorate our economy with abundant energy. We’re excited to work with Yates and Milam County to bring American advanced manufacturing to the heart of Texas and to unlock our most scalable energy resources,” said T1 Chairman of the Board and CEO Daniel Barcelo.
“We’re thrilled to welcome T1 Energy to Milam County—this partnership brings not just innovation, but the kind of high-quality, good-paying jobs that empower our local families and strengthen our community. It’s a powerful step toward a future of sustainable growth and opportunity, right here at home,” added Milam County Judge Bill Whitmire.
