ARRAY Technologies opens its largest factory in New Mexico

ARRAY Technologies, a maker of solar tracker and racking systems (the equipment that tilts solar panels to follow the sun), has opened a new $50 million factory in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At 216,000 square feet, it's about three times the size of the company's previous site there and is expected to support around 300 jobs in production, design, engineering, and customer service.

The company, which has been based in Albuquerque for more than 35 years, says the new plant lets it manufacture components in-house that it used to buy from outside suppliers. Some of those parts qualify for a federal manufacturing tax credit under Section 45X, part of the incentives meant to encourage building clean-energy equipment in the United States. The project also received public support, including $2.5 million from New Mexico's state job-creation fund and $250,000 each from the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, plus a partial property-tax break.

For homeowners, this is mainly a story about the solar supply chain rather than a program you can apply to. It doesn't create a new rebate or incentive for your own home. But more domestic manufacturing of tracker and racking hardware can matter down the line for the cost and availability of solar equipment used in larger installations, and it reflects a broader push to keep more solar-industry jobs and production in the U.S.