Of course.
A deep dive from Politico, November 3:
The president tried to weaken China’s control over solar parts globally by funding U.S. manufacturing plants. But Chinese companies are tapping into the cash.
A year ago, the Biden administration accused one of China’s largest solar manufacturers of evading American tariffs. Now the company is building a massive panel factory in Texas — and it could receive more than $1 billion in tax subsidies under President Joe Biden’s signature climate law.
The strategic move by Trina Solar marks an emerging dilemma for U.S. officials: Should America reward the companies of one of its biggest adversaries for creating domestic jobs and expanding clean energy?
Giving billions in taxpayer money to Chinese businesses could drive down the cost of solar energy, create jobs and cut greenhouse gas emissions. But it could also sideline American manufacturers that are struggling to compete with cheap Chinese-made imports and sink U.S. efforts to build clean energy technologies at home.
Trina’s factory is exactly what White House officials envisioned spurring when Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 — except that it is owned by a Chinese company. Even worse, to the company’s critics, the Biden administration itself has accused Trina of skirting U.S. tariffs on China by routing its shipments through Southeast Asia.
A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, noted the climate law contains no provisions preventing Chinese solar companies from receiving tax credits under the IRA.
But leaders in Wilmer, where the facility is under construction, welcome Trina’s plans to employ 1,300 local people and offer an annual payroll of $80 million.
The city’s nonpartisan mayor, Sheila Petta, called the company’s arrival “a blessing.”
“The people with Trina have been marvelous,” she said. “I’ll be honest with you, I wish I had a few more companies like that.”
Not everyone agrees. The prospect of China benefiting from Biden’s climate law has triggered fierce debate on Capitol Hill, where there are mounting calls to bar Chinese companies from receiving IRA money. The issue has also fractured the U.S. solar industry, pitting manufacturers worried about cheap Asian imports against developers and installers that rely on inexpensive equipment from overseas....
....MUCH MORE