Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called U.S. tariffs on solar panels harmful to the American public during his comments at Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit held in New York. In his remarks, Bloomberg called tariffs on solar panels and solar cells imported from China protectionist policies, pointing out that, “the Chinese have done us this enormous favor of selling us solar panels below the price that we can make them.”

“I applaud Michael Bloomberg for speaking out against U.S. tariffs on solar products and for exposing the misguided protectionism that is currently resulting in higher prices of solar energy to consumers,” said Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy President Jigar Shah. “The overwhelming majority of U.S. solar companies have embraced the global nature of our highly-specialized industry and are successfully leveraging cost savings to create over 140,000 American jobs – most of which are in installation on American rooftops. Higher tariffs only mean higher prices, which ultimately leave U.S. solar companies unable to compete on cost, and deny the American public access to affordable solar energy.

Shah continued, “This topic is extremely relevant since we‘re in the midst of a second trade case, calling for additional tariffs on imported solar panels and cells from China and Taiwan. Continued uncertainty and rounds of legal cases are not the paths to sustainable growth for the U.S. solar industry. As Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) also noted during his remarks at the Summit on Monday, ‘a lack of predictability can hurt our nation’s clean energy investment.’ I agree with Senator Wyden, and note that the damage caused by uncertain solar trade barriers creates the same uncertainty that changing government programs and tax policies have on the broader renewable energy industry. Now is the time to negotiate an equitable solution to the solar trade petitions that will bring confidence back to the market and lay the groundwork for the U.S. solar industry’s continued success.”