American Solar Factory: A New Path to Lower Energy Bills

Dan Barcelo, the chief executive of T1 Energy, told a news event that making solar panels in the United States can help cut electricity costs and bring jobs back to America. He highlighted how his company’s Texas plant, which produces about ten percent of all U. S. solar panels, employs more than 1, 250 people in the Dallas area and is a key example of domestic manufacturing. Barcelo explained that every step of solar production—from raw materials to finished modules—can be done in the U. S. He pointed out that T1 buys polysilicon from a Michigan supplier and plans to source wafers from another Michigan firm, showing that the supply chain can stay local. He also announced a new project called “G2 Austin, ” which will use an old industrial site in Texas to build advanced solar cells. The venture is expected to create 1, 500 high‑paying automated jobs and will repurpose a former Alcoa plant that already has power and water infrastructure.Barcelo linked the project to broader national priorities, such as powering data centers and supporting artificial intelligence. He compared solar manufacturing to the traditional oil and gas industry, saying that just as drilling built a natural‑gas field, solar production builds a renewable energy source. The CEO stressed that solar power is the fastest to deploy and has very low development costs. He noted that when solar panels are connected to the grid, they produce electricity at zero marginal cost, which can help stabilize prices. In Texas, solar already supplies about half of the grid’s midday power. Barcelo acknowledged that other energy sources—natural gas, coal, and nuclear—still play important roles. However, he argued that renewables like solar can lower overall costs and improve affordability for consumers.