Solar Eclipsed

U.S. solar manufacturers decry unfair Chinese competition, but tariffs could trigger a destructive trade war

Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images

Rising sun. Solar installations are proliferating in the U.S., but many of the panels come from China

It seems like boom times for U.S. solar. With demand skyrocketing, about $11 billion worth of solar power is set to be installed this year, and more than five times that amount is coming down the pike. Solar is employing 100,000 Americans, a number that rose by 7% last year even as overall employment barely grew at all.

But even as solar power thrives in the U.S., many think the business could be growing faster--and creating more American jobs--if it weren't for alleged foul play by China, the country's biggest solar rival. "The Chinese are eating our lunch," said Michigan Representative...

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