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Nov 14, 2025 12:00 PM

First Solar Picks South Carolina For Big New Plant And Hundreds Of Jobs

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR) is expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint with a new production facility planned for Gaffney, South Carolina, a move aimed at strengthening domestic solar manufacturing and supporting the nation's clean-energy infrastructure goals.

The company will invest about $330 million in the plant, which is slated to begin operations in the second half of 2026. The project is expected to create roughly 600 jobs with an average salary of $74,000, offering a significant economic boost to Cherokee County.

The expansion was shaped in part by incentives in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which promotes U.S.-made energy technology and tighter oversight of foreign-linked supply ...