Catalyst with Shayle Kann Scaling America's domestic solar supply chain
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Mar 19, 2026 Scott Moskowitz, VP of market strategy and public affairs at Qcells and chair of the SEIA board, discusses U.S. efforts to reshore solar manufacturing. He digs into which supply-chain steps are coming back, why clustering and scale matter, and how costs, policy incentives, and permitting shape competitiveness. The conversation highlights chokepoints from polysilicon to modules and the politics behind industrial policy.
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Reshoring Is About Resilience Not Just Price
- Domestic solar reshoring is driven by resilience and geopolitics, not just cost reduction.
- Scott Moskowitz ties reshoring to lessons from the pandemic and desire for resilient critical energy supply chains.
Where US Solar Manufacturing Actually Exists
- U.S. domestic capacity is highest at module assembly and lower upstream at polysilicon, wafers, and cells.
- Moskowitz estimates ~40–50 GW module capacity, ~10–20 GW polysilicon, and very limited wafer factories (Qcells, Hemlock).
Why Polysilicon And Modules Localize First
- Different supply-chain stages localize for different reasons: polysilicon by cheap energy, modules by shipping and automation.
- Moskowitz points to low electricity costs for polysilicon and bulky shipping economics for module assembly in the U.S.