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Industry insider worries about Trump's potential impact on Arizona solar energy

Rooftop solar panels on an Arizona home with cactus landscaping in the foreground
Getty Images

Some in Arizona’s solar power industry say they’re worried President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed policies could stall solar growth in the state.

Arizona’s solar industry has seen significant growth in the last decade. The state ranks fifth among states for solar generation. And the industry now employs nearly 10,000 Arizonans, according to the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association.

But Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association executive director Autumn Johnson worries that could change under the next presidential administration. Trump has proposed major tariffs on foreign imports, which Johnson said, could drive up costs for home solar panels.

“Solar installs are down 30% year over year for a combination of factors related to interest rates and also state policy,” Johnson said. “So if you have a situation in which you’re going to then basically make them more expensive, you’re going to see potentially a real cratering of that industry.”

Trump and some Republican lawmakers, now in control of Congress, have also proposed rolling back Biden-era tax credits for renewable energy.

Johnson said that could also negatively impact the industry.

“Certainly having the House, Senate and the presidency together makes significant legislative changes very possible,” Johnson said.

Katherine Davis-Young is a senior field correspondent reporting on a variety of issues, including public health and climate change.