SEMA Coalition Reacts to Build America, Buy America Waiver Action

The Administration needs to ensure American taxpayer dollars are used to support the onshoring of the solar supply chain by non-Chinese producers

Washington, DC – Today, following the announcements that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Department of Agriculture (USDA) all issued Build America, Buy America (BABA) partial non-availability waivers for domestically assembled solar modules used in federal financial assistance awarded for infrastructure projects, Mike Carr, Executive Director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition, released the following statement:

“While we appreciate the balance the administration is attempting to strike by supporting swift energy deployment, American solar manufacturers will have more than enough capacity to support these projects over the next three years. At the very least, the administration must impose Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) restrictions before finalizing these waivers so Chinese companies assembling solar panels in the United States don’t receive American taxpayer dollars via government purchasing.” 

Each federal agency is accepting public comments on the proposed BABA waivers by December 28, 2024.