GE to Shutter Only U.S. Solar Panel Factory; Layoff 82

GE will close its only U.S. solar panel factory in January and shutter it completely by June, 2010. The reason is a familiar one in the solar panel industry: production costs overtook sales prices and supply remains dim in part due to the recession.

The 82 employees at the facility in Delaware will be laid off with severance packages.

This comes on the heels of news last week that Evergreen Solar was moving its solar panel production from Devens, Mass. to China due to much lower production costs there.

More power to China. And to its continued drive to become sustainable economically and environmentally.