The possibility of a major trade tariff on photovoltaic cells could eclipse much of the nation’s growing solar energy industry, especially in New Hampshire where it is already trying to overcome two state regulatory barriers.

The U.S. International Trade Commission is expected to issue its first ruling on a tariff request on Sept. 22. It was made by two foreign-owned manufacturers seeking to impose both protective tariffs and a floor price on photovoltaic cells and modules. The mere threat of a tariff has already driven up prices by 15 to 25 percent, according to Sam Lavallee, director of financing for ReVision Energy, a Brentwood-based company with offices in Concord, NH, Massachusetts, and Maine. | More…

| NHBR