The White House has amplified a social media statement from solar manufacturer T1 Energy highlighting its upcoming manufacturing facility in Texas, a project the company states will involve more than $500 million in initial capital expenditures.
In its post on X, T1 Energy reported that the facility, designated as G2_Austin, is expected to generate approximately 1,500 advanced manufacturing jobs in Milam County. The company credited President Donald Trump and his administration for facilitating the economic move. T1 wrote that the investment would not have been possible without the leadership of the administration, adding that the firm is committing heavily to domestic production.
Dan Barcelo, chairman and chief executive officer of T1 Energy, stated that the presidential acknowledgment validates ongoing efforts. According to Barcelo, the recognition shows that the company is assisting the administration in fulfilling a primary objective to restore advanced manufacturing employment. He emphasized that the company is constructing facilities domestically to support American consumers and domestic energy grids, expressing enthusiasm for the recognition of their labor and capital commitment.
The solar enterprise initially broke ground last December on a site spanning over 100 acres in Rockdale, situated northeast of Austin. At the time of the ground-breaking, the initial phase was valued between $400 million and $425 million, with projections reaching up to 1,800 jobs. Current company figures place the first-phase production capacity at an estimated 2.1 gigawatts, accompanied by an anticipated annual payroll of $120 million. Production from the Rockdale site is intended to supply T1’s pre-existing 5-gigawatt module facility located south of Dallas, with first production currently scheduled for early 2027.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previously forecasted that administration policies would catalyze a surge in capital investment centered around major industrial factory developments. Barcelo reiterated this sentiment, noting that the company’s financial commitment aims to secure energy abundance, reshore high-tech manufacturing, and provide employment for American workers.
Federal trade measures have also influenced the project’s operational timeline. In August, President Trump issued a Section 232 proclamation establishing minimum import pricing structures for polysilicon and derivative products, accompanied by a 15 percent duty that became effective on December 4. Subsequently, the Commerce Department issued a waiver to T1 Energy allowing the company to import up to 1.725 gigawatts of foreign-produced cells to maintain operations at its Dallas-area module plant while construction continues at the Rockdale site.
Beyond industrial development, the political landscape in Texas remains active. During back-to-back campaign rallies held Tuesday in Corpus Christi and Lubbock in support of Ken Paxton, the president asserted to crowds that Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico would threaten millions of employment positions across the state.
