Under the name American Panel Solutions, Corning will expand its footprint by manufacturing solar modules to serve the U.S. solar industry.\n\nCorning, a materials science specialist, takes a step further into the U.S. solar supply chain with the acquisition of JA Solar’s production facility in Phoenix. JA Solar is a Chinese-owned solar manufacturer and first announced its Phoenix manufacturing facility in 2023, which had an expected annual output of 2 GW, according to the Arizona commerce authority.\n\nThe facility is now an asset of American Panel Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Corning, a Corning spokesperson told pv magazine USA.\n\n“ This facility will manufacture solar modules to serve the demand for reliable, affordable energy in the United States,” said AB Ghosh, vice president and general manager of solar, Corning, and chair and CEO, Hemlock Semiconductor.\n\nCorning owns polysilicon manufacturer Hemlock and previously announced an investment of $1.5 million to expand advanced manufacturing operations in Michigan to manufacture solar wafers.\n\nThe Corning acquisition of the JA Solar facility is the second recent U.S. acquisition of solar manufacturing assets from a Chinese-owned company. In November 2024 Freyr Battery, a U.S.-based battery manufacturer entered into an agreement to acquire the U.S. solar manufacturing assets of Trina Solar for $340 million. The manufacturing assets included a 5 GW, 1.35 million square foot solar module manufacturing facility in Wilmer, Texas.\n\nThese acquisitions come at a time when the U.S. government passed legislation to limit materials in the solar supply chain from foreign entities of concern (FEOC). This includes strict rules in the recent budget reconciliation bill that denies the 48E and 45Y credits to projects found in noncompliance with FEOC rules. The restrictions begin in 2026 and apply to products, businesses and investors from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Corning acquires JA Solar facility in Arizona

Corning, a materials science company, acquired JA Solar's solar manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona, to expand its presence in the U.S. solar supply chain. The facility, expected to produce 2 GW annually, is now operated by American Panel Solutions, a Corning subsidiary. This follows a U.S. government effort to restrict foreign materials in solar supply chains, including restrictions on Chinese-owned companies. Another recent acquisition involved Trina Solar's Texas facility by Freyr Battery.