WASHINGTON _ The Trump administration announced Monday that it will impose hefty tariffs on the cheap, imported panels that have driven the rapid expansion of solar power in the United States, a move that industry groups warn will slow the spread of renewable energy and cost thousands of jobs.
The tariffs come as Trump has vowed to take a tough line against cheap foreign imports that are undercutting American manufacturing industries.
But they also threaten some of the very type of jobs that Trump has vowed to protect. Companies that install solar panels will be faced with the prospect of having to trim their workforces, as the tariff _ which starts at 30 percent on the imported panels and gradually declines each year _ threatens to substantially raise the price of solar power in the United States.
California, where the renewables industry has taken off, will be among the states hardest hit by the new levies.
