U.S. to Place Tariffs on Solar Panels From China

[mike_c]

5. unless the U.S. also subsidizes PV manufacturers, this will simply drive up the cost...

...of solar power. Taking a global view, those Chinese subsidies help the world by driving down the cost of implementing sustainable energy alternatives. Frankly, the world needs less expensive alternatives to fossil fuels more than it needs to nurture U.S. manufacturers if other nations can get the job done less expensively. Rather than raise tariffs, I'd rather see the U.S. match the subsidies if that's what it takes to give U.S. manufacturers a boost. We certainly subsidize oil companies to the tune of billions in profit, so RAISING the cost for solar is simply not a good idea in any sense. Sure, I know-- this is about eliminating unfair trade advantages, but doing so in a manner that drags the entire industry backwards is short term thinking at its worst.