How Trump's Tariffs Hit US Solar, One Year On

<p>It’s been one year since the Trump White House slapped 30 percent tariffs on solar cells and modules imported into the US.&nbsp;What happened since?</p><p>The solar industry said tariffs would destroy tens of thousands of jobs and set the market back years. Turns out, the market is a lot more resilient than presumed. We now have the jobs numbers and installation data for 2018 — and yes, the tariffs definitely hurt solar, but not nearly as much as expected.</p><p>We’ll take stock of how tariffs shaped America’s solar market over the last year, both bad and good.</p><p>Then, Shell continues its distributed-energy acquisition spree. The oil giant just scooped up German battery services company sonnen — one month after buying EV charging firm Greenlots in January. What’s the end game?</p><p>We’ll end with a Trump Administration plan to freeze lighting standards. Is this Trump’s vendetta against hipster bars using globe lights and Edison bulbs?</p><p><em>We’re doing a live show at the MIT Energy Conference on April 4 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.&nbsp;</em><a href="http://bit.ly/mitenergygang" target="_blank"><em>Follow this link</em></a><em>&nbsp;and use the promo code “energygang,” and we’ll give you a 10% discount on your ticket. Come join us for a fun live show on the energy picture in 2040.</em></p><p>Recommended reading:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/tariffs-to-curb-solar-installations-by-11-through-2022#gs.nVLfdzck" target="_blank">GTM</a>: New Tariffs to Curb US Solar Installations by 11% Through 2022</li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-industry-records-second-consecutive-year-of-job-declines#gs.KTEjr6tE" target="_blank">GTM</a>:&nbsp;US Solar Job Numbers Decline for the Second Consecutive Year</li><li><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/oil-supermajor-shell-acquires-sonnen-for-home-battery-expansion#gs.5bC7aT81" target="_blank">GTM</a>:&nbsp;Oil Supermajor Shell Acquires Sonnen for Home Battery Expansion</li><li><a