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For the las six months, the solar industry has been under a shroud of confusion and uncertainty with regard to a handful of policies that are affecting all of us. Whether you have felt it yet or not, the WRO (Withhold Release Order) has slowly crept into the solar industry consciousness and is impacting everything from project equipment and project delivery timelines to supply chain and equipment pricing.
As much of the news is coming through the filter of international media and is targeted toward the ever-growing trade battle between the US and Southeast Asia, chiefly China, it's often difficult to discern exactly what the WRO and other policies (both in the Biden administration and abroad) could mean for your business and our industry at large. To help sift the wheat from the shaft and give you front lines insight into how this can effect your business and what you can do about it, I've brought Andy Klump, CEO of Clean Energy Associates, to the show today for his fourth appearance because Andy is, in my view, one the of the world's chief experts on US - China solar trade, both from a policy perspective and a delivery/logistics quality perspective.
Andy has been in the industry for 20 years and he's seen a lot of cycles. Andy and I talk about how this is similar to and different from past trade cycles, like the Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties or AD/CVD. Andy has keen insight on the impacts on pricing, timelines on logistics log jams and when they might ease up, and whether or not the underlying arguments of the existing WRO actually holds water. We also contemplate whether this is necessarily fair that the solar industry is receiving the brunt of this trade policy, considering we are not the only industry that utilizes products coming from SE Asia and in particular, the areas that are under inspection in China, with the current WRO rulings.
Andy provides his thoughts on how, where and IF the Biden administration might provide relief to this ever more troublesome situation. If you've been wondering how this will effect you, you want to listen to this today's episode. It's a timely look at how international trade policy directly effects our industry and your livelihood.
RESOURCES:
Find Andy on LinkedIn
Follow Clean Energy Associates on Twitter, LinkedIn and check out their website.
We've linked a few articles from our friends at PV magazine that go deep into this topic.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/10/11/solar-supply-demand-and-a-foreign-policy-shakeup/
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/08/19/customs-enforcement-is-jeopardizing-2-1-gw-of-solar-projects/
Additional resources, if you want to keep listening to great content on this topic, check out the video interview with Tim Montague of Clean Power Hour called "WRO on Silicon Solar"
All of the other resources Andy and his team have compiled on this topic are at this link including an interview with friend of the podcast, Tim Montague, and another with Benoy Thanjan.
https://www.cea3.com/cea-blog/tag/no+forced+labor.
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
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About the Host of SunCast:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20min on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.