First Solar to build new U.S. production facility in South Carolina
South Carolina is set to host more solar manufacturing as First Solar plans to build a new production facility in the state.
The solar module manufacturer announced plans to establish a new facility in Gaffney, Cherokee County, South Carolina, to onshore final production processes for its Series 6 Plus modules initiated by the First Solar’s international fleet. The new facility is expected to cost approximately $330 million and is scheduled to begin commercial operations in the second half of 2026. The facility is projected to create more than 600 new jobs with an average manufacturing salary of $74,000 per year, approximately twice the per capita income in Cherokee County.
The South Carolina facility was catalyzed by demand for domestically produced energy technology created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in July 2025. The facility is expected to increase First Solar’s capacity to produce U.S.-made solar technology that is fully compliant with anticipated Foreign Entities of Concern (FEOC) guidance, by 3.7 GW, reaching 17.7 GW of annual nameplate capacity in 2027.
“South Carolina is proud to be a destination for innovative energy companies that are powering our country with American technology,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “First Solar’s investment will create 600 new jobs in Cherokee County, which will greatly strengthen the local economy and help advance America’s energy independence. Their expanded presence in our state will provide even more opportunities for hardworking South Carolinians.”
The onshored processes will transform thin film solar cells produced by First Solar’s international fleet into fully completed modules. The new facility expands First Solar’s footprint in South Carolina, which currently includes a distribution center in Duncan, Spartanburg County, and a longstanding partnership with Inland Port Greer.
The Gaffney plant will be part of what is already the largest solar technology manufacturing and research and development (R&D) footprint in the Western Hemisphere and includes three fully vertically integrated manufacturing facilities in Ohio, and one each in Alabama and Louisiana, along with R&D centers in Ohio and California. Altogether, the Company, which expects to directly employ over 5,500 people in the US by the end of 2026, will have invested approximately $4.5 billion in American manufacturing and R&D infrastructure since 2019.
“The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the administration’s trade policies boosted demand for American energy technology, requiring a timely, agile response that allows us to meet the moment,” said Mark Widmar, CEO of “We expect that this new facility will enable us to serve the US market with technology that is compliant with the Act’s stringent provisions, within timelines that align with our customers’ objectives.”
