Abstract

Political ecology has been slow to examine solar panel factories, even though manufacturing lower-carbon technologies sits at the crossroads of climate change mitigation and global markets. Influenced by environmental and energy justice, this article takes a political ecology approach to explore First Solar's manufacturing facilities in Perrysburg, Ohio. Employing participant observation, document analysis, semi-structured and informal interviewing, and focus groups, this article investigates solar panel production's local impact. Besides offering a background to First Solar's industrial development, this article has revealed the general community outlook, labor issues and negative impacts related to First Solar factory expansions. This entailed a largely indifferent, 'passively positive' and uninformed public. Solar panel manufacturing sat alongside automobile manufacturing, numerous corporate retail distribution hubs and, to many residents, was "just another factory." This, however, did not take away from people's appreciation of employment and investment in the community.

Keywords: Solar energy, Political Ecology, Decarbonization, Industrial strategy, Solar photovoltaics, renewable energy, manufacturing

How to Cite:

Dunlap, A. & Sovacool, B. K., (2025) “"It's kind of just another factory:" A political ecology of solar panel manufacturing in Perrysburg, Ohio”, Journal of Political Ecology 32(1): 6222. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.6222