First Solar Inc. has inaugurated the first phase of its new PV module manufacturing facility in South Carolina, cutting the ribbon on the manufacturing floor Oct. 28.
Located in the small town of Gaffney near the Palmetto State’s northern border, the new facility will onshore final production processes of First Solar’s Series 6 Plus modules. The company’s international fleet with initiate manufacturing of those modules before bringing them to American soil to avoid further potential shipping tariffs or other FEOC concerns.
“Less than a year after we selected Gaffney, this facility is ready to produce American solar technology, built by South Carolinian workers,” says First Solar CEO Mark Widmar. “That pace reflects what is possible when sound policy, strong state and local partners, and a committed workforce align.
“Every module that leaves this facility is made without dependence on Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains, and it strengthens our ability to deliver the certainty our customers need as American electricity demand grows.”
The two-phase plant is expected to support a total of 700 jobs once at full operation, the company says. First Solar officials say that its staffing team has already filled about 500 of those positions.
Moving on to the next phase
The second phase of the manufacturing plant project will see completion by mid-2027, according to company representatives. In total, the two-phase endeavor has a price tag of about $330 million, and will double the manufacturing plant’s annual nameplate capacity to 3.4 GW.
The new facility “supports American energy dominance and affordability goals,” the company says. The upgrade came about in response to rising demand for domestically produced energy technology after the second Trump administration signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law in July 2025.
Government officials from both the state and federal level attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, including South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. The latter says First Solar’s module technology is “exceptional,” and that the company continues to win in the U.S. because it relies on its own proprietary technology.
“Thanks to First Solar’s investment, South Carolinians are building American energy technology in Gaffney, with nearly 700 good-paying jobs expected to support this critical work,” Gov. McMaster says. “This is another example of why South Carolina continues to be recognized as a manufacturing powerhouse and a leader in our nation’s energy future.”
By the end of 2026, First Solar officials expect to have invested more than $5 billion in American solar manufacturing and research and development infrastructure, since 2019. Additionally, the firm forecasts that it will have about 17 GW of U.S.-based module manufacturing capacity by 2027.
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