Howard Wenger on tariffs
From California Dreaming: Dr. Torsten Brammer speaks with Howard Wenger in The Solar Journey podcast · · Nextracker LLC.
“The US tariffs on imported solar modules may increase prices somewhat, but the Inflation Reduction Act's tax credits can offset up to 40% of that increase, so I don't think it will slow down growth significantly.”
On , Howard Wenger, Director & President at NEXTRACKER INC, spoke about tariffs during California Dreaming: Dr. Torsten Brammer speaks with Howard Wenger in The Solar Journey podcast on Nextracker LLC..
About Howard Wenger
Howard Wenger, president of Nextracker, said on the podcast "The Solar Journey" that the company had shipped 100 gigawatts cumulative in 11 years, with over 1,000 employees and about $2.5 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year. He stated that Nextracker has localized production with over 80 manufacturing facilities worldwide, achieving 100% domestic content in the US and over 65% in Europe. Wenger expressed mixed feelings about efforts to diversify the solar supply chain away from Chinese manufacturers, noting that Chinese companies have driven costs down. He described interconnection approvals as the biggest bottleneck to US solar growth, citing a queue of about 2.5 terawatts. Wenger said the solar industry needs to grow tenfold to match the size of the oil and gas industry to achieve the energy transition. He noted that the Inflation Reduction Act is fast-tracking renewables in the US with incentives across the value chain. Wenger also discussed Nextracker's acquisition of BrightBox to bring AI and machine learning capabilities to its software, and contrasted US and German corporate cultures, stating that US companies are more willing to acquire others for expertise or market access.