Oregon Public Broadcasting

Solar manufacturers in Oregon welcomed news Wednesday that the federal Department of Commerce will investigate charges that China is illegally dumping cheap solar panels on the market.

Amelia Templeton / OPB

Over the past year, prices of some photovoltaic products have dropped 40 percent. Hillsboro manufacturer, SolarWorld and six other companies have filed a complaint with the feds, alleging China is illegally subsidizing its solar companies.

SolarWorld spokesman, Ben Santarris, says they're also not pleased Chinese subsidiaries in the US have banded together to form a new trade group to fight the claims.

"It's a public affairs tactic that is a bit cynical in that it is representing business interests that depend on Chinese imports. And it purports to represent the interests of Americans," Santarris says.

Santarris and others are calling for tariffs against China. A Commerce Department investigation is expected to take a year.

Emails to the new trade group, the 'Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy,' were not immediately returned. But on the website, the group says protectionism harms the future of solar energy and is bad for consumers.