Clean energy production is bringing 600 jobs to West Columbia, South Carolina. Solar microinverter company Enphase has announced it has begun making its IQ8 microinverters at a U.S.-based manufacturing plant for the first time, Canary Media reported.
Microinverters are devices used to turn solar panel output from direct current to alternating current, which allows them to power homes and businesses.
The plant was recently toured by President Joe Biden, who emphasized the fact that the solar inverters are "made in America," and was able to put the purpose of the devices in layman's terms.
"Enphase first commercialized a component that converts solar energy into electricity — all that solar energy doesn't do a whole lot of good if you can't convert it into electricity," he said.
The Biden Administration's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes a provision that awards tax credits of 11 cents per watt of capacity for microinverters made in the United States. Enphase credited the IRA with being a key component that allowed it to begin manufacturing in the United States.
The plant is owned and operated by contract manufacturer Flex.
"Enphase shares our commitment to accelerating the world's transition to clean energy through advanced technology and strategic regional manufacturing," Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex, said in a press release.
Enphase plans to open up two more U.S. manufacturing sites this year, creating 1,800 jobs in total and bringing domestic production up to 4.5 million microinverters per quarter, according to Canary Media, and 5.5 million microinverters per quarter will still be produced abroad.
The 600 jobs created by Enphase and Flex in this venture are not the only jobs that clean energy has brought to South Carolina. Recently, the world's largest producer of lithium for EV batteries announced that it would begin building a $1.3 billion lithium processing facility in the state.
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