First Solar opens AI-enabled solar plant in Louisiana

First Solar has started production at its new $1.1 billion manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. The 2.4-million-square-foot plant is fully vertically integrated and uses AI systems to flag defects during panel production. Operations began in July 2025, ahead of schedule.

The company linked the early launch to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and trade measures under the Trump administration, which raised demand for US-made solar products aligned with expected Foreign Entities of Concern rules. The facility produces Series 7 modules using glass sourced from Illinois and Ohio and steel made in Mississippi and fabricated in Louisiana.

The plant employs more than 700 people and is expected to reach 826 by year end. Louisiana governor Jeff Landry said the project is creating new jobs and supports the state’s broader energy goals.

Once fully ramped up, the facility will add 3.5 GW of annual nameplate capacity, lifting First Solar’s US manufacturing footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027. It forms part of what the company describes as the largest integrated solar manufacturing and R and D footprint in the Western Hemisphere, spanning plants in Ohio and Alabama and research sites in Ohio and California.

CEO Mark Widmar said the new plant underscores the company’s commitment to domestic manufacturing.