First Solar Poll Shows Trump Voters Support Domestic Solar Panels

Summary

A poll commissioned by First Solar indicates that while 51% of voters support utility-scale solar projects, that support rises to 70% if the panels are manufactured in the US without Chinese materials.TechNews This comes as the solar industry lobbies the Trump administration, which has been tightening renewable energy policies, for favorable tax credit regulations.TechNews The poll’s findings could influence the administration’s future energy policy direction.TechNews

Impact Analysis

So First Solar is playing this perfectly. They’re not fighting the ‘green energy’ battle anymore; they’ve pivoted to ‘America First.’ This commissioned poll is a brilliant piece of lobbying, showing that support for solar jumps to 70% if it’s made in the USA and not China.TechNews They are handing the administration a political justification to favor them with tax credits and tariffs, reframing the debate on terms like jobs and national security, not climate.

This effectively turns a potential political headwind into a massive, policy-driven moat. While the market worries about a Republican administration being bad for renewables, FSLR is positioning itself as the primary beneficiary of protectionism. They are insulating themselves from the political cycle. This reinforces the long FSLR thesis; they are creating their own weather. It makes a long FSLR / short Chinese solar competitors pair trade look even more attractive.