First Solar's module manufacturing facility in Ohio (Courtesy: First Solar)Businesses announced plans for at least 16 new large-scale clean energy projects in 10 states in July, according to national nonpartisan business group E2’s monthly analysis of new clean energy and clean transportation projects. Based on publicly available information from 14 of the 16 announcements that included new jobs and/or investment estimates, the projects would create nearly 3,600 jobs and bring about $2.2 billion in new private investment.
Since the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) took effect in August 2022, businesses have announced at least 205 major new clean energy projects across 38 states. Of the projects with publicly available estimates, $86 billion in new private capital would be invested and nearly 70,000 jobs created. Ten large-scale clean energy projects were also announced in June, including a $250 million solar manufacturing facility in Texas, a $152 million plant to manufacture electrolytes for electric vehicle batteries in Tennessee, and a $115 million steel plant in Indiana that will manufacture structures to support grid modernization, renewable energy, and electric vehicle charging projects.
The 16 new projects are as follows:
| Date | Company/Org | State | Source | Sector | Type | Jobs | Investment (in millions) |
| 7/5 | Enphase & Flex | SC | Link | Solar | Manufacturing | 600 | $20M |
| 7/6 | First Solar | OH | Link | Solar | Research, Training & Technology | $370M | |
| 7/11 | Microvast | CO | Link | Battery/Storage | Manufacturing | ||
| 7/11 | Cenntro Electric Group | CA | Link | EV | Manufacturing | ||
| 7/11 | Hitachi Astemo Americas | KY | Link | EV | Manufacturing | 167 | $153M |
| 7/12 | Kia | GA | Link | EV | Manufacturing | $200M | |
| 7/18 | Vestas | CO | Link | Wind | Manufacturing | 800 (tot) | |
| 7/18 | Vestas | CO | Link | Wind | Manufacturing | 800 (tot) | |
| 7/20 | Magna | TN | Link | EV | Manufacturing | 750 | $790M (tot) |
| 7/20 | Magna | TN | Link | EV | Manufacturing | 300 | $790M (tot) |
| 7/20 | Magna | TN | Link | EV | Manufacturing | 250 | |
| 7/24 | Heliene | MN | Link | Solar | Manufacturing | $145M | |
| 7/25 | Bollinger | MI | Link | EV | Manufacturing | 237 (tot) | $44M (tot) |
| 7/25 | Bollinger | MI | Link | EV | Manufacturing | 237 (tot) | $44M (tot) |
| 7/25 | Junchuang North America | TX | Link | EV | Manufacturing | 120 | $21M |
| 7/28 | Meyer Burger | CO | Link | Solar | Manufacturing | 350 | $400M |
July Project Highlights
More than 70% of the estimated private investments in July came from four projects: a $400 million solar panel manufacturing plant in Colorado Springs, Colorado; a $370 million solar research and development center in Perrysburg, Ohio; and $790 million going to build two factories for suppliers to Ford’s BlueOval City electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Stanton, Tennessee.
Three companies made multiple announcements in July: EV supplier Magna announced three projects in Tennessee; EV maker Bollinger Motors announced two in Michigan, and wind turbine maker Vestas announced two in Colorado. 2,100 of the estimated jobs will come from two companies: Magna and Vestas.
More than half of all investments were for EV manufacturing, with more than $1.2 billion estimated to be invested in nine projects across California, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas.
Every project announced either new manufacturing capacity or research and support for advancing manufacturing capacities.
