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…