Solar Tariffs Threaten National Security

Cracking down on foreign-made solar panels would make U.S. less secure

Norman R. Seip, November 13, 2017 (Washington Post)

“…The U.S. International Trade Commission is proposing tariffs on imported solar energy panels for Trump to approve. That [kind of protectionism] may be tempting for the president…[But it] would hurt our national security, cost veterans their jobs and increase power bills for everyday Americans…Over the past seven years, the price of solar has dropped by 70 percent, giving our military a cost-effective, reliable, flexible source of electricity for its operations. The tariffs proposed would significantly raise the cost of solar energy, jeopardizing the financial viability of solar projects at U.S. military bases across the globe and threatening our long-term security interests…The military is our country’s single largest energy consumer…[W]hen the military is forced to rely on a single source of fuel to power its global operations, the consequences can, quite literally, be devastating…[Also, the solar] sector employs 260,000 American workers, including 23,303 veterans…[An Energy Department program, Solar Ready Vets,] is connecting our nation’s highly skilled veterans to solar industry jobs. With tariffs, tens of thousands of these solar workers, including many veterans, will lose their job within months. The impact will continue for years…” click here for more

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