Meyer Burger shuts down US solar panel manufacturing in Arizona

Meyer Burger, a Swiss manufacturer of solar panels, has closed a U.S. plant in Arizona because of financial problems, laying off all 282 workers, the company announced on Thursday.

This is a blow to the solar industry's efforts to create a domestic supply network and reduce its dependence on China, which is the top manufacturer of solar panels in the world.

Meyer Burger announced that it would build a plant in Goodyear, Arizona by 2021 to take advantage of clean energy incentives offered during the tenure of former U.S. president Joe Biden who linked fighting climate change and creating jobs with boosting domestic manufacturing.

A bill under consideration by Congress would eliminate or reduce many of these incentives. This was a major campaign promise made by President Donald Trump.

Meyer Burger's European and American operations struggled to compete against cheaper Asian products. It canceled plans to build a second U.S. plant in Colorado less than a calendar year ago.

The company announced on Thursday that it is in discussions with a group bondholders regarding restructuring. However, the future of Goodyear's site remains uncertain.

Two former Goodyear employees claim that the doors to the Goodyear plant were closed early on Thursday, and the company posted a sign indicating the facility had been closed. (Reporting and editing by Chris Reese, Sonali Paul and Nichola Groom)

(source: Reuters)