Unlike a protested plant in York County, Suniva won’t operate near a school or subdivisions
By:Jessica Holdman– South Carolina Daily Gazette – April 14, 2026
LAURENS — A solar panel manufacturer pledges to invest $350 million in its first plant in South Carolina and employ 564 people.
Suniva announced Tuesday plans to lease a 620,000-square-foot building in an industrial park on the north end of Laurens.
The deal, which South Carolina Commerce Secretary Harry Lightsey called a “significant win for rural economic development,” marks the third largest in the county’s history in terms of both jobs and investment.
ZF Transmissions’ opening and subsequent expansion were the largest. Today the transmission maker employs more than 2,000 people in Laurens County, according to the county’s economic development chief Jonathan Coleman.
Suniva, founded in 2007, came out of a U.S. Department of Energy-funded research project at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Between the company’s smaller, existing plant near Atlanta and its planned new Laurens County operations, it will make solar cells capable of producing more than 5.5 gigawatts of energy annually — one of the largest production rates in the country, according to the state’s economic development agency.
“At this critical juncture, access to energy will determine how America competes for generations to come. Our expansion in South Carolina means that renewable energy, made right here at home, will now do more than ever to secure that future,” Suniva CEO Tony Etnyre said in a statement.
“This investment strengthens our commitment to innovative energy solutions,” Gov. Henry McMaster added in a statement.
In exchange for its investment, the state Department of Commerce approved Suniva for annual income tax breaks worth $20,250 for each new job.
And Laurens County Council voted unanimously Monday to lower the company’s property taxes to a 4% rate for 40 years in exchange for the company’s investment.
By state law, manufacturers without such an arrangement pay a 6% rate. (Industrial property owners previously paid a 10.5% rate, but state laws passed in 2017 and 2022 effectively lowered it to 6%.)
In addition to the lower rate, the deal also includes provisions that allow the company to further buy down its property tax bill by 75% in its first five years of operation and 50% for years six through 15.
People interested in working for Suniva can visit the company’s careers page.
Wages will start at about $23 per hour for entry-level positions. Skilled technicians can earn between $26 and $36 per hour, while managers on the manufacturing line can earn up to $53 per hour, said Matt Card, the company’s chief operating officer.
Suniva’s expansion to South Carolina comes amid ongoing pushback against a different solar cell manufacturer in York County: Silfab Solar.
Controversy surrounding Silfab largely stems from its location in the Charlotte suburb of Fort Mill, sitting just off the Gold Hill Road exit of Interstate 77. It’s surrounded by large neighborhoods such as Regent Park and Fort Mill School District’s largest elementary school, which opened last August.
Environmental regulators were called in last month after a pair of chemical leaks at the newly built facility in three days. While the company had yet to begin production at the facility, officials cleared it to begin stocking up on the necessary chemicals and testing its equipment.
Activity was paused for several days until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Services had time to look into the matter and cleared the company on March 9 to continue.
Unlike Silfab, the Suniva facility is not near any schools and stands in a heavy industrial area. With safety in mind, Card said the company worked closely with the county when selecting its location.
The plant is expected to be operational next year.
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