First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR), a U.S.-headquartered
photovoltaic solar technology and manufacturing company, said a new economic impact study
projects its American operations will support 39,320 direct, indirect and induced jobs and
contribute approximately $7.8 billion annually to U.S. gross domestic product by 2027.
The study, conducted by the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center at the University
of Louisiana at Lafayette using IMPLAN economic modeling, examined First Solar’s actual and
forecast U.S. spending for 2025 and 2027.
According to the findings, First Solar’s U.S. operations supported an estimated 29,605 jobs and
about $3 billion in labor income in 2025. By 2027, supported employment is projected to
increase by nearly 10,000 jobs, while annual labor income is expected to reach approximately
$4 billion.
The company’s annual contribution to U.S. GDP is projected to rise 28 percent from an
estimated $5.8 billion in 2025 to approximately $7.8 billion in 2027.
First Solar expects to operate approximately 18 gigawatts of annual nameplate solar module
manufacturing capacity across six U.S. facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, Ohio and South
Carolina by 2027. The company said it will have invested approximately $4.5 billion in American
manufacturing and research infrastructure since 2019.
“This study demonstrates how genuinely American solar manufacturing can deliver long-term
economic value,” said Mark Widmar, First Solar’s chief executive officer.
First Solar manufactures thin-film photovoltaic modules through a vertically integrated process
that converts glass into a finished solar module in approximately four hours. Its U.S.
manufacturing network relies primarily on domestic inputs, including American-made glass and
steel.

The expansion comes as electricity demand increases from data centers, industrial
development and broader electrification, placing greater attention on domestic generation
capacity and energy supply chains.
The analysis does not include downstream impacts from the development, construction and
maintenance of solar power plants using First Solar technology, the company said nationally.