Maxeon Solar Technologies announced it has chosen Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the location for its first U.S. manufacturing expansion.

The new 3-GW facility will be designed to produce the latest-generation TOPCon PV-silicon cell technology and the company’s proprietary shingled-cell “Performance Line” solar modules to meet the rapidly growing demand for domestically produced solar panels. The new plant is expected to serve both the utility-scale power plant market and distributed generation rooftop applications.

Total project investment could top $1 billion, said the company. It is subject to a successful financial close under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program. Maxeon is currently in the due diligence stage of its loan application and site selection is an important milestone in completing this process with DOE’s Loan Programs Office, it said.

The Maxeon plant will be the first large-scale PV cell and panel manufacturing in New Mexico, and its planned capacity is approximately double the size of the largest silicon solar manufacturing facility currently operating in the US. Maxeon expects to begin construction in the first quarter of 2024, with factory ramp-up to commence in 2025. Maxeon has selected a 160-acre site located in the community of Mesa Del Sol, and is designing the complex to include solar cell fabrication, panel assembly, a warehouse, and administrative offices. Once complete, Maxeon estimates the new facility will create up to 1,800 jobs, including skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs, and produce millions of solar panels each year for the U.S. market. The New Mexico facility expands Maxeon’s global manufacturing footprint, which currently includes plants in Mexico, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Due to strong customer demand and the planned availability of sufficient infrastructure at the Mesa Del Sol site, Maxeon is currently evaluating plans to upsize the scale of its U.S. manufacturing operation by approximately 50% to a nameplate capacity of 4.5 GW. A final decision regarding plant capacity is expected later this year.

“Albuquerque is at the forefront of the movement to bring manufacturing back home because of our unique location, affordability, and skilled workforce,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. “Bringing good paying jobs in clean energy will help foster new opportunities for families in New Mexico and create a more sustainable future for America.”