A national poll conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates and commissioned by First Solar, Inc. (First Solar) has found widespread support for solar energy among Republicans, Republican-leaning Independents, and voters who supported President Donald J. Trump (GOP+).

Fabrizio, Lee & Associates pollsters Tony Fabrizio, David Lee, and Travis Tunis, said: “GOP+ voters want America to have energy independence and for their electric bills to be affordable. They understand that utility solar energy is a key aspect in allowing that to happen, especially when the panels for that solar energy can be made right here in the USA without any ties to China.”

The poll was of 800 GOP+ voters. Results showed:

• They are in favor of the use of utility-scale solar by a more than 20-point margin, with 51% in favor.
• If the panels used for solar energy are American-made with no ties to China, support for solar energy soars higher. Those in favor jump to 70%, while only 19% are opposed.
• 68% agree that the United States needs all forms of electricity generation, including utility solar, to be built for lowering electricity costs, compared to 22% who disagreed.
• 79% agree that the government should allow all forms of electricity generation, including utility-scale solar, to compete on their own merits and without political interference, versus 11% who disagreed.
• A clear majority (52%) of GOP+ voters are more likely to support a Congressional candidate if they support an all-of-the-above energy agenda, including the use of solar. Similarly, 51% are more likely to vote for a candidate who supported an American company building a solar panel manufacturing plant in the US.

Having been manufacturing in the US since 2002, First Solar is the country’s leading PV solar technology and manufacturing company. It operates the largest solar technology manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere with five operational manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Ohio, and a sixth plant under construction in South Carolina, which is expected to begin operation in the second half of 2026. 

The new South Carolina facility is expected to increase First Solar’s capacity to produce American-made solar technology by 3.7 GW, reaching 17.7 GW of annual nameplate capacity in 2027. 

Altogether, the Company, which expects to directly employ over 5,500 people in the US by the end of 2026, will have invested approximately $4.5 billion in American manufacturing and R&D infrastructure since 2019.