Domestic Solar Manufacturers Group Adds Highland Materials and NexWafe to Coalition

February 14, 2024

Washington, D.C. — The Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition announced two new members today: Highland Materials and NexWafe, both of which recently announced plans to build new commercial-scale solar manufacturing facilities in the United States.

Highland Materials, a purified silicon manufacturer, has an almost 20-year history as a supplier of solar-grade silicon and has plans to bring over 400 jobs to a new commercial scale polysilicon factory in Northeast Tennessee. Highland has a unique, patent-protected silicon purification technology that enables Highland to produce high purity material with a 90% reduction in carbon emissions compared to other major manufacturers.

German wafer manufacturer NexWafe has established a U.S. subsidiary and will evaluate building a commercial-scale wafer facility here with an initial target production volume of 6 GW. NexWafe has developed an innovative process that is less carbon intensive and manufactures wafers directly from silicon containing gasses.

“Enthusiasm for developing a complete U.S. solar supply chain is only growing—the case is clear, for climate, for jobs, for our economy, and for national security, we must build on the momentum begun in the Inflation Reduction Act. We’re thrilled to have Highland Materials and NexWafe join us on this journey as a part of SEMA,” said SEMA Coalition Executive Director Mike Carr. “American solar manufacturers are facing severe headwinds right now against their ambitious goals, but we have strength in numbers and remain fully committed to building our clean energy future here at home, with the support of the Administration and Congress.”

“SEMA has vastly improved the environment for U.S. solar manufacturing and Highland is proud to be part of this impressive coalition,” said President and CEO of Highland Materials Richard Rast. “Continued government support of our industry will be essential to ensure we can create more good American jobs, reduce emissions, and lower people’s energy bills.”

“NexWafe is delighted to join this team of allies driving the development of the end-to-end solar supply chain in the U.S.,” said NexWafe’s North America VP of Business Development Jonathan Pickering. “The Inflation Reduction Act is a game changer for us as we plan for our first U.S. facility to manufacture American-made EpiNexR solar wafers.”

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About the SEMA Coalition:

The SEMA Coalition is a group of solar manufacturers united to rebuild the solar supply chain in the United States. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the coalition looks to capitalize on this unique opportunity to implement a suite of policies to rebuild a competitive, environmentally friendly, and socially-responsible U.S. solar supply chain. Together, the manufacturers within this coalition represent more than 6,100 workers in the United States. SEMA members include 3SUN USA, Caelux, Corning, CubicPV, First Solar, Heliene, Hemlock Semiconductor, Meyer Burger, Qcells, REC, REC Silicon, Silfab Solar, Suniva, and Wacker.