Poll Shows GOP Voters Support Solar Energy, American-Made Solar
Rhea-AI Impact
(Neutral)
Rhea-AI Sentiment
(Negative)
Tags
Key Terms
utility-scale solartechnical
Large solar power installations built to supply electricity directly to the grid rather than to individual homes, typically measured in megawatts and sited on open land, desert, or water. For investors, these projects are like factories that produce a steady product — electricity — and matter because they require big upfront capital but can provide long-term, contract-backed revenue, exposure to energy policy and price shifts, and predictable cash flows over decades.
PVtechnical
Present value (PV) is the current worth of a future stream of cash — like dividends, interest or sale proceeds — after discounting for time and risk. Investors use it like comparing the price of a ticket today to the value of future benefits: if the present value of expected payments exceeds the price, the investment may be attractive. PV helps compare different opportunities on the same, today’s-money basis.
gigawatts (GW)technical
A gigawatt (GW) is a measure of electrical power equal to one billion watts and tells you how much electricity a plant or project can produce at a given moment. For investors it signals scale and revenue potential—larger GW capacity usually means bigger sales, grid impact and capital needs—much like knowing a factory’s production line size helps predict output and cash flow.
research and development (R&D)technical
Research and development (R&D) is a company’s organized effort to discover, design and test new products, technologies or processes, covering early-stage research through later-stage product development. Investors track R&D because it can create future revenue and a competitive edge—like planting seeds that may grow into profitable products—while also using cash and creating uncertainty about when or if those investments will pay off.
margin of sampling errortechnical
Margin of sampling error is the range around a survey or poll result that reflects how much the number could change simply because only a subset of the full population was measured. Think of tasting a spoonful of soup to judge the whole pot—the margin tells you how much your estimate might differ from the true average. For investors, it signals how much confidence to place in polls, market surveys, or small-sample studies when making decisions.
95% confidence intervaltechnical
A 95% confidence interval is a range around a measured number that is expected to contain the true value about 95 times out of 100 if the same measurement were repeated many times. Think of it like a weather forecast that gives a band of likely temperatures rather than a single number: the wider the band, the less precise the estimate. Investors use it to judge how much uncertainty surrounds reported figures or forecasts and to compare the reliability of different estimates.
Voters more likely to back Congressional candidates that support all-of-the-above energy agenda, including solar
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
A national poll conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates and commissioned by First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) (“First Solar” or “the Company”) has found widespread support for solar energy among Republicans, Republican-leaning Independents, and voters who supported President Donald J. Trump (“GOP+”).
The poll of 800 GOP+ voters found that:
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.
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.”
Samantha Sloan, executive vice president of Corporate Affairs, First Solar, said: “The data shows that the role of utility-scale solar, and especially solar powered by American technology, is clearly supported by this key voter demographic. It’s time for us to focus on what’s important to our country — a commonsense approach to power generation that deploys all the tools available, including American solar, to generate every electron possible to drive growth, prosperity, and energy dominance.”
Having manufactured 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 research and development (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 gigawatts (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.
METHODOLOGY STATEMENT: Fabrizio, Lee & Associates conducted a national survey of 800 Republicans, Republican-leaning Independents, and Trump voters (GOP+) from January 19-21, 2026. The interviews were split 40% live-operator cell phone/15% live-operator landline/45% SMS to web. Gender, age, race/ethnicity, and education were matched to demographic profiles of GOP+ voters based on the voter file and exit polls. Respondents were randomly selected from lists of registered voters. The margin of sampling error at the 95% confidence interval is ±3.46%.
About First Solar, Inc.
First Solar, Inc. is America's leading PV solar technology and manufacturing company. The only US-headquartered company among the world's largest solar manufacturers, First Solar is focused on competitively and reliably enabling power generation needs with its advanced, uniquely American thin film PV technology. Developed at research and development (R&D) labs in California and Ohio, the Company's technology represents the next generation of solar power generation, providing a competitive, high-performance, and responsibly produced alternative to conventional crystalline silicon PV modules. For more information, please visit www.firstsolar.com.
This press release contains various “forward-looking statements” which are made pursuant to safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning: (i) plans to establish a new production facility in South Carolina; (ii) expectations that facility will commence commercial operations in the second half of 2026; (iii) expectations that the facility will have an annual nameplate capacity of 3.7 gigawatts and that First Solar will have a total US nameplate capacity of 17.7 GW in 2027; (iv) our expectation that First Solar will directly employ over 5,500 people in the US by the end of 2026, and (v) our expectation that First Solar will have invested approximately $4.5 billion in American manufacturing and R&D infrastructure from 2019 to 2026. These forward-looking statements are often characterized by the use of words such as “estimate,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “believe,” “forecast,” “foresee,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “goal,” “target,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “predict,” “continue” and the negative or plural of these words and other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based on First Solar’s current expectations and First Solar’s projections about future events and therefore speak only as of the date of this release. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. First Solar undertakes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause First Solar’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the results of our investigation of potential infringers, the costs and other impacts arising from any subsequent litigation, the results of which are unpredictable; the validity and scope of claims relating to the patents; the potential for companies to develop and patent technology designed to exclude our patented technology; and the matters discussed under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of First Solar’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by First Solar’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
