Biden invokes Defense Production Act to boost solar panel manufacturing

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is using his executive powers Monday to boost the domestic production of solar panels and their parts and will issue a 24-month tariff exemption on imports of the products from several countries.

The White House said Biden will authorize the use of the Defense Production Act to accelerate manufacturing of solar panels in the United States as a way to strengthen the administration's efforts to shift the country toward clean energy.

The move will allow the Department of Energy to "rapidly expand" U.S. manufacturing of solar panel parts, power grid infrastructure such as transformers, heat pumps, building insulation and other equipment, the White House said in a news release.

Biden is also directing that "master supply agreements" are used "to increase the speed and efficiency with which domestic clean electricity providers can sell their products to the U.S. government," the release said.