1,200%. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, that’s how high imports of Chinese modules rose in the fourth quarter last year, in a desperate attempt to stockpile sufficient numbers before tariffs choked off international supplies.

The Arizona-based module manufacturer will install a 50 MW battery system charged by a 65 MW solar farm under a 15-year power contract with the U.S. state’s largest utility.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has asked Congress to take a machete to the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) renewable energy and energy efficiency programs to even lower levels than he proposed last year – cuts likely avoided because of Congressional incompetence.

In the first official confirmation of what pv magazine has been writing for two weeks, the Chinese manufacturer authorized its U.S. subsidiary to finalize plans for the investment.

The energy storage company will receive the money from three different investors, including the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

The decision, released on U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s website, could keep current U.S. module manufacturers in business by keeping their cell lifelines open.

A source told pv magazine that the Section 201 decision has been made, but announcement last Friday was delayed. While tariffs will be imposed, they said, the levels and other details will not be the worst-case scenario.

A source has revealed to pv magazine that the Chinese PV behemoth is the company negotiating with the city of Jacksonville, Florida.

In an interview with Reuters, the president slammed what he referred to as the dumping of inexpensive modules on the U.S. market.

The U.S. International Trade Commission delivered a report to President Trump that should bolster Section 201’s petitioners, SolarWorld and Suniva’s efforts to get the president to impose sanctions on solar imports as the January 26 deadline looms.