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Tempe-based First Solar announces U.S. expansion

One of the goals of the Inflation Reduction Act was to spur investment in clean energy.

A Tempe-based firm says it will expand its operations as a result.

First Solar wanted to build another factory, but had not decided if it would be in the United States or elsewhere.

Then the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden two weeks ago offered incentives that made staying in the country more attractive.

The company announced Tuesday that it will invest about a billion dollars in a new plant in the southeastern United States and will upgrade its facilities in Ohio.

The expansion is expected to create hundreds of new manufacturing jobs. First Solar has operations in Vietnam and Malaysia, and construction of an India-based plant is underway.

Ron Dungan was a senior field correspondent at KJZZ from 2020 to 2024.