“Tariff hikes have brought significant cost pressure, forcing companies to pass the increases on to downstream customers, namely the end consumers,” said Cheng Wang, CEO of Xenerpower, a Texas-based maker of transformers, switchgears and switchboards.
by Xinhua writers Tan Jingjing, Gao Shan
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) — Exhibitors at RE+, North America’s largest clean energy expo in Las Vegas, warned that U.S. tariffs and policy uncertainty pose major challenges for the global renewable energy industry, disrupting supply chains and complicating project planning.
The expo, held from Monday to Thursday, brought together exhibitors and industry professionals worldwide to showcase the latest solar, wind and energy storage technologies, explore new products, forge partnerships, and discuss trends shaping the renewable energy sector.
Behind the bustling exhibition halls, however, many companies voiced concerns over tariff-driven cost pressures and supply chain disruptions.
“Tariff hikes have brought significant cost pressure, forcing companies to pass the increases on to downstream customers, namely the end consumers,” said Cheng Wang, CEO of Xenerpower, a Texas-based maker of transformers, switchgears and switchboards.
The uncertainty over U.S. tariffs and clean energy policies, along with rising costs, could severely impact the U.S. clean energy sector, particularly the solar and wind industries, Wang told Xinhua.
“When subsidies were in place, companies could fully cover their costs and even receive additional financial support. Now, with tax incentives removed and stricter approval standards, many projects have been forced to pause or be canceled,” Wang noted.
For Premier PV, an Arkansas-based solar solutions company, tariffs are complicating component sourcing.
“For the parts and the raw materials, we do have quite a bit of supplies from Europe, the DC feeder cables come from either China or India, and lugs from India,” said Brian Moore, the company’s director of business development.
“There’s some tariff the international components will carry … at one point this year, the tariff went up to 125 percent. It’s crazy. But it didn’t actually go through, so it got reduced down,” Moore added.
On U.S. energy policy, Moore said that President Donald Trump’s administration has not actively supported renewable energy development.
“Trump keeps fighting against renewable energy. At the same time, for energy independence, the fastest to deploy is generally going to be renewable energy. At least for the next four or five years, we really don’t see a way for them to get around it. That’s a trend,” he said.
He added that independent of government subsidies, tech companies with high energy demands — such as data centers — are likely to continue pursuing renewable energy projects.
Some companies are taking a wait-and-see approach as they navigate the volatile tariff environment.
Jeannette Holton, senior communications manager at EcoFlow, a multinational specializing in portable power and home solar systems, told Xinhua the company is closely monitoring the situation and will reassess its pricing strategy as needed.
“Our business model isn’t really focused on the tariff situation, because we know it’s always up and down, and it’s constantly changing,” she said.
Looking ahead, Wang said the future of U.S. clean energy remains uncertain, with corporate planning and investment under heavy pressure.■
