Nextracker and JENNMAR Subsidiary JM Steel Bolster U.S. Supply Chain with New Facility Expansion to Triple Capacity for Solar Energy Projects - Seite 2

Once the home of a steel mill used to build materials for tank landing ships during World War II, this refurbished facility represents one of many shifts underway in the U.S. toward domestic manufacturing, a secure supply chain, and clean energy. The Leetsdale steel factory tripled its capacity with the addition of new, dedicated manufacturing lines for solar energy projects creating 60 new manufacturing jobs.

“JENNMAR and Nextracker are in a powerful partnership focused on advancing the energy transition and American manufacturing. The future depends on leveraging a diverse portfolio of resources that addresses our environment, energy needs, and economic opportunity,” said Matt Smith, chief growth officer at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. “This is a win at the convergence of two industries that are pivotal to southwestern Pennsylvania – energy and manufacturing – and we’re proud that our region is a key part of the supply chain that’s helping to bring more solar energy to the market.”

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), solar power now accounts for 53% of all new electricity generation in the U.S., adding 32.4 GW of solar power in 2023 and surpassing 23.6 GW in the prior year.

To celebrate the new facility expansion, a dedication ceremony was attended by top government officials including David Crane, Under Secretary for Infrastructure at the department of energy (DOE), Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania, Austin Davis, U.S. Congressman Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania’s 17^th District, PA State Representative, Valerie Gaydos, and Matt Smith, Chief Growth Officer, Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Also joining the event was Tony Calandra, CEO of JENNMAR, and leaders from some of the world’s largest clean energy companies including Kelly Speakes-Backman, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at Invenergy, and Yuri Horowitz, CEO of Sol Systems.

Last year, Nextracker opened a dedicated steel production line in Las Vegas with Unimacts, another in Memphis with MSS Steel Tubes USA, and a self-powered controller and high-voltage power supply line in California with Asteelflash. They have more production lines in Texas, Arizona, and Illinois.

About Nextracker

Nextracker is a leading provider of intelligent, integrated solar tracker and software solutions used in utility-scale and ground-mounted distributed generation solar projects around the world. Our products enable solar panels power plants to follow the sun’s movement across the sky and optimize plant performance. With power plants operating in more than 30 countries worldwide, Nextracker offers solar tracker technologies that increase energy production while reducing costs for significant plant ROI. For more information, please visit www.nextracker.com.