President Donald Trump’s attempt to create U.S. jobs by taxing solar panel imports could backfire.
That’s according to the CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association trade group, who says it’s domestic workers that will feel the pain.
“We have been the fastest growing form of new energy...and this is putting the brakes on that crazy growth,” Abigail Ross Hopper told Cheddar in an interview. “These are not people who are looking for what nationality the company they work for is. They just want to feed their families and pay their mortgages. And those are the people whose jobs are at risk.”
Earlier this week President Trump signed a law that would impose a 30 percent tariff on imported solar panel and sells, a move the administration says will encourage domestic manufacturing.
But the SEIA says the vast majority of the 260,000 Americans employed in the industry work in peripheral industries like installation. Ross Hopper says the bill will result in 23,000 layoffs this year and delay or cancel billions of dollars of investment in the sector.
She also says it might dissuade U.S. consumers from going green.
“Most [businesses and consumers] want to choose solar because it saves them money,” she said. “This decision changes that calculus.”
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/solar-power-in-america).
After a sleepy couple of weeks, by Washington standards, it’s back to business as usual with Congress back in town.
Mayor-Elect Tishaura Jones joined Cheddar to discuss her historic victory and what to expect of her priorities for the city of St. Louis going forward.
In President Joe Biden's first notable gun control measures, he has announced executive actions aimed at addressing what the White House calls a “gun violence public health epidemic.
Many hope that part of Biden’s latest $2 trillion infrastructure plan would help fund construction for a decades-old proposal for a 200 mph high-speed line that could take passengers from Boston to New York City in 100 minutes.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to 744,000, signaling that many employers are still cutting jobs.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called on the world's most powerful nations to pass a global minimum corporate tax of 21 percent to create "a more level playing field."
President Joe Biden is drawing a red line on his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan. He says he is open to compromise on how to pay for the plan but inaction is unacceptable.
Lee Wong, West Chester Township Board of Trustees chairman from Ohio, made waves during an on-camera meeting when he lifted his shirt to display scars he received during his service in the U.S. Army.
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is endorsing President Joe Biden’s focus on building up the country’s infrastructure and says the company even supports a corporate tax rate hike to help pay for it.
With more similar services on the market, there are questions if TikTok can remain king especially as it chases after advertiser dollars.
