White House Reposts Solar Maker T1 Energy's Texas Plant: More Than $500 Million, an Estimated 1,500 Jobs

The White House is promoting a factory announcement from a solar manufacturer in Texas, Breitbart reports.

The plant. T1 Energy posted Wednesday that its G2_Austin cell facility in Milam County will carry first-phase capital spending of more than $500 million and create an estimated 1,500 advanced manufacturing jobs. The company puts first-phase capacity at about 2.1 GW and the payroll at $120 million. The White House reposted the message.

The credit. T1 wrote that the investment "would not have been possible without the leadership of President Trump and his administration." Chairman and CEO Dan Barcelo told Breitbart the repost recognizes work already underway: "T1 is helping the administration deliver on one of its key promises: to bring back advanced manufacturing jobs."

How it has changed. Construction began last December on more than 100 acres at Rockdale, northeast of Austin. At that time T1 priced the first phase at $400 million to $425 million and projected up to 1,800 jobs. Cells from the plant will feed T1's 5 GW module facility south of Dallas, and the company now targets early 2027 for first production.

The trade policy. Breitbart says Trump issued a Section 232 proclamation in August setting minimum import prices on polysilicon and related products, with a 15 percent duty starting Dec. 4. Commerce granted T1 a waiver last week to import up to 1.725 GW of foreign cells for the Dallas-area plant while Rockdale is built. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted last year that administration policy would set off a capital spending boom led by big factory projects.

Note for readers: the investment and jobs figures are T1's own estimates, and the credit to the administration is the company's statement. The job estimate is lower than the 1,800 projected last year.