Texas Solar Boom Creates 1,200 Jobs in Manufacturing Revival

Inside a gleaming factory in Wilmer, Texas, robots playing the Imperial March cruise past workers assembling 20,000 solar panels every single day. This isn't science fiction—it's the manufacturing renaissance happening right now in North Texas.

T1 Energy's G1 Dallas facility opened last year with 1,200 employees working around the clock on seven parallel production lines stretching half a mile long. The company is investing $1 billion in Texas, including a second facility in Rockdale expected to start production later this year.

"Honestly, we couldn't think of any other place we would rather be building right now," said Russell Gold, T1's executive vice president. Texas offers a great workforce, business-friendly policies, and affordable energy prices that make manufacturing viable again.

The clean energy sector is leading this surprising industrial comeback. American Clean Power tracked about 200 clean energy manufacturing facilities nationwide in recent years, with 20 of them in Texas alone—most focused on solar technology.

Chinese manufacturer Hithium chose Mesquite for its first U.S. battery storage facility last summer. James Boswell, who built the plant, called it "the smoothest, fastest, most supportive factory situation" of his career.

The boom started with lessons from COVID, when supply chain disruptions revealed America's manufacturing vulnerabilities. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act added momentum, encouraging companies to build complete products domestically rather than relying on overseas components.

North Texas specifically attracts manufacturers because it places factories close to their customers. The region already deploys massive amounts of wind, solar, and battery storage, creating natural demand for locally made components.

"North Texas checks a lot of the boxes: logistics, talent, incentive and just the growing demand," said Abdul El Baba of Gray Construction. "It's quickly becoming like a magnet for clean energy investment."

Even universities are joining in. The University of Texas at Dallas opened its BEACONS facility this year specifically to support energy storage manufacturing and economic development.

The Ripple Effect

This manufacturing renaissance extends beyond factory walls. Texas leads the nation in exports for 23 consecutive years, with $455 billion in 2024 alone—more than California, New York, and Louisiana combined.

The clean energy manufacturing cluster creates high-tech jobs requiring advanced skills, pushing educational institutions to train workers for robotics and artificial intelligence applications. These aren't traditional assembly line positions—they're careers blending manufacturing expertise with cutting-edge technology.

As data centers move into Texas to support AI development and the state's population continues growing rapidly, energy demand keeps climbing. Local solar panel and battery manufacturing helps meet that need while keeping jobs and investment in American communities.

The transformation shows how environmental goals and economic growth can work together when supported by smart policy and business investment.