First Solar, Inc. has officially inaugurated its state-of-the-art, fully vertically integrated manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. Valued at $1.1 billion, the massive 2.4 million-square-foot plant, roughly 11 times larger than the New Orleans Superdome currently employs more than 700 people and is projected to reach 826 by year’s end. Once fully operational, the Iberia Parish facility will contribute an additional 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of annual nameplate capacity, expanding First Solar’s U.S. manufacturing footprint to 14 GW by 2026 and 17.7 GW by 2027, following the full ramp-up of its new South Carolina facility.
Production at the Louisiana facility began in July 2025, several months ahead of schedule. This early start was fuelled by the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Trump administration’s trade policies, both of which accelerated demand for American-made solar technology that meets forthcoming Foreign Entities of Concern (FEOC) standards. The new plant operates entirely independent of Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains, manufacturing First Solar’s advanced Series 7 modules with U.S.-sourced materials, including glass from Illinois and Ohio, and steel produced in Mississippi and fabricated into backrails in Louisiana.
“First Solar’s investment is already delivering real results for Iberia Parish and the surrounding region with hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses,” said Louisiana Governor, Jeff Landry. “This is exactly how we advance President Trump’s agenda of American energy dominance. Louisiana has always powered this country, and with projects like this, we’re strengthening our workforce and securing an all-of-the-above energy future that drives growth and prosperity.”
According to an economic impact analysis conducted by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and commissioned by the Iberia Economic Development Authority (IEDA) the new facility is forecast to grow Iberia Parish’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 4.4% in its first full year of operations at capacity. Manufacturing roles at the facility offer an average compensation package of $90,000 per year, more than three times the per capita income in Iberia Parish.
“This is more than just a manufacturing facility. It’s a commitment to American energy dominance, affordable electricity, growth and prosperity,” said Mark Widmar, Chief Executive Officer, First Solar. “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that US reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
The high-tech factory is enabled by artificial intelligence (AI), using computer vision and deep learning to automatically detect defects in solar panels during production, while technicians and operators leverage AI-powered tools to make operating adjustments and guide decision making.
“This is, beyond doubt, one of the most advanced solar manufacturing facilities in the world and it represents the very best of American manufacturing innovation,” said Kuntal Kumar Verma, Chief Manufacturing Officer, First Solar. “Along with its sister facilities in Ohio and Alabama, this factory demonstrates how AI can be harnessed to help American factory workers reach their full potential. Our fleet offers proof that AI can help realize productivity gains that allow us to out-innovate the competition and run our operations smarter, better, and faster.”
The Louisiana facility is 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 in Alabama, along with R&D centers in Ohio and California. Last week, the Company announced an investment in a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore final production processes for Series 6 modules initiated by its international fleet. 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.
Having manufactured in the US since 2002, First Solar is the country’s leading PV solar technology and manufacturing company. It is the only one of the world’s largest solar manufacturers to be headquartered in the US. By 2027, the Company expects to support over 30,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the country, estimated to represent more than $3 billion in labor income.
