Analyst: Trump’s Solar Tariffs ‘Will Slow Down’ Clean Energy In Illinois

Some of the 30,000 solar panels that make up the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s new 2-megawatt photovoltaic array in Albuquerque, N.M.
Some of the 30,000 solar panels that make up the Public Service Company of New Mexico's new 2-megawatt photovoltaic array in Albuquerque, N.M. on April 20, 2011. AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan
Some of the 30,000 solar panels that make up the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s new 2-megawatt photovoltaic array in Albuquerque, N.M.
Some of the 30,000 solar panels that make up the Public Service Company of New Mexico's new 2-megawatt photovoltaic array in Albuquerque, N.M. on April 20, 2011. AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan

Analyst: Trump’s Solar Tariffs ‘Will Slow Down’ Clean Energy In Illinois

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On Monday, Jan. 22, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines. The tariffs could go up to 50 percent on washing machines and up to 30 percent on solar panels.

This decision will likely cause the prices for washing machines and solar panels to rise. The administration claims that the decision to impose these steep tariffs on foreign solar panels will benefit American workers as part of President Donald Trump’s “America First” promise. The Solar Energy Industries Association projects that tens of thousands of workers could lose their jobs.

We will discuss this latest attack on the economics of renewable energy with Lisa Albrecht, a renewable energy specialist for Solar Service, Inc., a local solar panel installer, and John Rogers, a senior energy analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists.