First Solar Opens $330 Million South Carolina Plant, With 500 Jobs Already Filled

GAFFNEY, S.C. — A $330 million solar manufacturing plant in Cherokee County has begun operating, with approximately 500 workers already employed and nearly 200 more positions expected as a second phase moves toward completion next year.

First Solar inaugurated the first phase of the Gaffney facility on Oct. 28, less than a year after selecting the South Carolina site. Rather than beginning every manufacturing step locally, the plant completes production of the company’s Series 6 Plus thin-film solar modules after earlier processes take place at its facilities abroad.

That makes the opening both a significant addition to South Carolina’s industrial base and a useful example of how complicated the phrase “American-made” can become in modern manufacturing.

From 500 jobs to nearly 700

The new plant is located at 121 Logistics Drive in Gaffney. Its initial phase has annual nameplate production capacity of approximately 1.7 gigawatts. First Solar expects to double that to 3.4 gigawatts when the second phase is completed around mid-2027, while increasing staffing to nearly 700.

The expanded operation is also expected to incorporate the company’s CuRe technology, which is designed to improve the performance of its thin-film solar modules.

The staffing figures are more concrete than those of many factory proposals still awaiting construction. Approximately 500 positions have been filled, the company said in its Oct. 28 opening announcement. The remaining positions and the second phase’s completion remain projections.

When South Carolina first announced the development, the state anticipated more than 600 jobs. The updated forecast of nearly 700 increases the employment target, although the plant’s projected annual output is now 3.4 gigawatts rather than the higher capacity figures used in some earlier announcements.

Why the factory matters beyond Gaffney

Solar power’s growth is increasing demand for large quantities of modules and the industrial equipment required to make them. First Solar uses thin-film photovoltaic technology, an alternative to the crystalline silicon panels that dominate much of the global solar market.

The South Carolina operation concentrates on final production steps. Earlier manufacturing is carried out by First Solar’s international facilities, so the Gaffney factory is not a completely self-contained domestic production line. The distinction matters as policymakers and buyers weigh domestic manufacturing capacity and supply-chain dependence.

Gaffney adds to the company’s existing American manufacturing and research network, including operations in Ohio, Alabama and Louisiana. First Solar says it has invested more than $5 billion in U.S. manufacturing and research and development since 2019.

The expansion also gives Cherokee County a substantial new employer outside the state’s best-known automotive manufacturing centers. In its original project announcement, South Carolina identified the site as part of its push to attract advanced manufacturing and create industrial jobs in smaller communities.

A major investment with another phase ahead

The October ribbon-cutting marks the start of operations, not the end of construction or expansion. First Solar still expects to complete the second production phase in mid-2027 and raise its workforce as that equipment comes online.

The announced investment is approximately $330 million. South Carolina has approved performance-based job-development tax credits for the project, although the publicly disclosed terms do not establish a final dollar value. Those incentives depend on meeting applicable employment and investment conditions.

For Gaffney, the distinction between a proposed factory and an operating one is already visible in the hundreds of people working at the plant. The next measure of the project’s success will be whether the second phase reaches its production and hiring targets, and how much of that activity translates into lasting economic benefits for Cherokee County.