Press release
First Solar Breaks Ground on $1.1 Billion, 3.5 GW Louisiana Manufacturing Facility
Louisiana manufacturing plant will create over 700 new direct manufacturing jobs in the state BATON ROUGE, La. and TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First
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[{"type":"text","content":"\nLouisiana manufacturing plant will create over 700 new direct manufacturing jobs in the state\n\n\n BATON ROUGE, La. and TEMPE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nFirst Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) today broke ground on a previously announced manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, its fifth fully vertically integrated factory in the United States. The ceremony was attended by the Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, and other dignitaries from the state.\n\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230921973269/en/First Solar today broke ground on a previously announced manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, its fifth fully vertically integrated factory in the United States. (L-R) John Pierson, Secretary, Louisiana Economic Development; Kuntal Kumar Verma, Chief Manufacturing Officer, First Solar; Caroline Stockdale, Chief People and Communications Officer, First Solar; M. Larry Richard, President, Iberia Parish; John Bel Edwards, Governor of Louisiana; Mark Widmar, Chief Executive Officer, First Solar; Georges Antoun, Chief Commercial Officer, First Solar; Jason Dymbort, General Counsel and Secretary, First Solar; Mike Koralewski, Chief Supply Chain Officer, First Solar. (Photo: Business Wire)\nThe facility, believed to be the largest capital investment in the area’s history, represents an investment of approximately $1.1 billion in expanding America’s capacity to produce photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. Expected to start commercial shipments by the first half of 2026, the facility is forecast to grow the company’s nameplate manufacturing capacity by 3.5 gigawatts (GW) to reach approximately 14 GW in the US and 25 GW globally in 2026.\n\n\nWhen completed, the fully vertically integrated manufacturing facility will cover over two million square feet and is designed to transform a sheet of glass into a ready-to-ship Series 7 module in approximately 4.5 hours, producing over one dozen new Louisiana-made solar panels every minute.\n\n\n“This is a historic day for Iberia Parish and Louisiana as we celebrate this record-breaking investment and the hundreds of good-paying jobs it will create,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “First Solar choosing our state for its newest solar panel production facility solidifies Louisiana’s place as a leader in the glob...