1. York County zoning board reverses decision to allow Silfab Solar to establish solar cell manufacturing operations in Fort Mill.
2. Community pushback leads to concerns about potential use of harmful chemicals in solar panel production.
3. Silfab had plans to create 800 new jobs and contribute $17 million in property taxes to Fort Mill Schools with their 1-GW factory, but their next steps are not yet known.
Local news outlets in York County, South Carolina, have reported that the zoning board has reversed its decision to allow Silfab Solar to establish solar cell and panel manufacturing operations in Fort Mill. Silfab had chosen a warehouse in a “light industrial” zone to outfit with manufacturing equipment, but the zoning board changed the regulations to only allow solar manufacturing in “heavy industrial” zones.
Silfab Solar, a Canadian company with a factory in Washington, had planned to begin solar cell and panel production in Fort Mill this year. However, community pushback citing concerns about potential harmful chemicals used in production has led to the zoning board’s decision.
Silfab’s plans for a 1-GW factory in Fort Mill would have brought 800 new jobs and $17 million in property taxes to the area. They had also started establishing a domestic supply chain, including agreements with SolarCycle in Georgia and NorSun’s future American factory.
Silfab has not yet announced its next steps following the zoning board’s decision, but the community backlash has put their plans for a manufacturing facility in Fort Mill on hold.