The U.S. Congress approved the extension of the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) that promotes investments in solar power plants in votes on Friday night European time. Dr. iIng. E. h. Frank Asbeck, CEO of SolarWorld AG commented the decision and viewed it a big step forward for solar power in America. He expects that USA, one of the largest solar markets in the world, will continue to grow by 30% per year in the future.
The U.S. has imposed anti-dumping and subsidies tariffs on certain China-imports since 2012 for the sake of fair competition and quality, yet, pointed out Mukesh Dulani, President of SolarWorld Americas, Inc., the U.S. government must continue to enforce certain measures to address solar industry development.
Dr.-Ing. E. h. Frank Asbeck added, “The European Union should take the United States as an example. Particularly in Germany, it is high time to turn from skepticism to optimism again. Costs for solar power have gone down dramatically within the last years. Solar will be an essential pillar for a safe, clean and affordable energy supply.”
SolarWorld is the largest manufacturer of solar technology in the United States and in Europe. The group achieves more than 50% of its revenue in the Americas.