NEW ORLEANS – First Solar has officially opened its new $1.1 billion solar module manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, marking one of the largest advanced manufacturing investments in Louisiana in recent years and the company’s fifth operating plant in the U.S.
The fully vertically integrated facility spans approximately 2.4 million square feet — about 11 times the size of the New Orleans Superdome — and began production in July 2025, several months ahead of schedule. The plant currently employs more than 700 people and is expected to reach 826 employees by the end of the year, with manufacturing jobs averaging $90,000 annually, more than three times Iberia Parish’s per capita income.
According to an economic impact analysis by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for the Iberia Economic Development Authority, the site is forecast to raise Iberia Parish’s gross domestic product by 4.4% during its first full year of operations at capacity.
“First Solar’s investment is delivering real results for Iberia Parish and the surrounding region with hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses,” said Gov. Jeff Landry. “Louisiana has always powered this country, and with projects like this, we’re strengthening our workforce and securing an all-of-the-above energy future that drives growth and prosperity.”
Built to Support U.S. Manufacturing and Supply Chains
The early completion was driven by rising demand for American-made clean energy technology, including new federal policies incentivizing domestic production. The plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 modules without using Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains. Materials are sourced domestically, including glass from Illinois and Ohio and steel produced in Mississippi and fabricated into backrails in Louisiana. Backrails are the steel support bars attached to the back of each solar panel, reinforcing the module and providing the mounting interface used to secure it in large-scale solar installations.
Once fully ramped, the Iberia Parish facility will add 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of annual nameplate capacity. That expansion is expected to bring First Solar’s U.S. manufacturing footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027, coinciding with the ramp-up of a newly announced facility in South Carolina. “Fully ramped” means the plant has completed its startup phase and is operating at its full, planned production capacity.
“This is more than just a manufacturing facility. It’s a commitment to American energy dominance, affordable electricity, growth and prosperity,” said First Solar CEO Mark Widmar. “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that U.S. reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
AI-Driven Production in Louisiana
The Iberia Parish plant is one of the most advanced solar manufacturing facilities in the world, outfitted with artificial intelligence (AI) that uses computer vision and deep learning to detect defects in solar panels during production. Operators also use AI-powered tools to guide decisions and improve efficiency.
“Along with its sister facilities in Ohio and Alabama, this factory shows how AI can help American factory workers reach their full potential,” said Kuntal Kumar Verma, the company’s chief manufacturing officer. “AI is helping us run our operations smarter, better and faster.”
Part of a Growing National Footprint
With the Louisiana plant online, First Solar now operates one of the largest solar manufacturing and R&D footprints in the Western Hemisphere, including three integrated factories in Ohio, one in Alabama and R&D centers in Ohio and California. The facility is online and producing modules, but won’t reach its full 3.5-gigawatt annual output until the manufacturing lines are fully ramped.
The company recently announced a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore final production steps for its Series 6 modules, an earlier generation of thin-film photovoltaic panels used in utility-scale solar farms and manufactured with cadmium telluride (CdTe) technology rather than conventional crystalline silicon. Unlike the newer Series 7 modules produced in Louisiana, Series 6 modules are optimized for large solar projects rather than rooftop installations.
National First Solar Footprint and Workforce Impact
By the end of 2026, First Solar expects to employ more than 5,500 people nationwide. By 2027, the company estimates it will support more than 30,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs across the country, representing over $3 billion in labor income.
First Solar has manufactured in the U.S. since 2002 and is the country’s largest solar technology manufacturer and the only U.S.-headquartered company among the world’s major solar producers.
