To understand why Biden extended tariffs on solar panels, take a closer look at their historical impact
China’s cheaper solar panels made it harder for U.S. companies to compete. Ruan Xuefeng/VCG via Getty Images David J. Feldman , National Renewable Energy Laboratory President Joe Biden extended tariffs on imported solar panels in February 2022 in a bid to protect domestic manufacturing. These tariffs add a 14%-15% tax on cheaper imports, raising their cost in the U.S. At the same time, the Biden administration is urging an expansion of renewable energy and energy security, two priorities for many countries. As an energy analyst focused on renewable electricity generation, I follow the impact of solar policies. To understand why the tariffs were extended, it’s helpful to understand their historical impact. The U.S. was a solar leader once U.S. engineers invented the solar cell , the part of the panel that generates electricity, in the 1950s at Bell Labs. The country was a world leader in manufacturing until about 20 years ago. Several solar cells connected together...