Solar factories as reindustrialization anchors

Domestic solar manufacturing can do more than supply panels: large domestic factories anchor regional supply chains, create political constituencies for clean energy, and — when combined with automation and AI — can be globally competitive despite lower labor costs abroad. Framing factory investment as national industrial strategy (not just green policy) changes who supports solar and how projects are permitted and funded. — If true, this makes solar deployment a lever for broader manufacturing, trade and political realignment rather than only an emissions tool, affecting tariffs, procurement, permitting, and workforce policy.