Sen. Ron Wyden issued a policy paper about how China subsidizing solar panels is costing the U.S. jobs.
Sen. Ron Wyden issued a policy paper about how China subsidizing solar panels is costing the U.S. jobs.
Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, released the paper during a tour of German panel-maker SolarWorld A.G.’s U.S. headquarters in Hillsboro. He was joined by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who is expected to join him atop the Senate Energy Committee during the next Congress.
Wyden’s report, titled “China’s Grab for Green Jobs,” shows that U.S. imports of China-made solar cells and panels tripled between 2009 and 2010 and have more than tripled again so far this year.
U.S. imports last year came in just under $1.2 billion, but have already reached above $1.5 billion this year. In 2006, China had just 12 percent of the global export market for solar energy components. Since then, the market has nearly quadrupled in size — from $20.3 billion to $76.1 billion — and is now dominated by China, which holds a 33 percent market share.
Read more at Sustainable Business Oregon.
{biztweet}wyden solar{/biztweet}
