Heliopolitics: The international political economy of solar supply chains

Tariffs imposed by the United States government under Sections 201 and 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 have given rise to a broadly protectionist exercise of energy policy discretion by the executive branch of government. How can such actions be understood within a wider context of geopolitical competition and the international political economy of an emerging global solar industry? This article proposes that a "Solar Trilemma" could be a key concept for understanding the geo- (or helio-) politics of a new era. It analyzes how renewed solar protectionism counteracts against past progress, and opens the way for a return to the counterproductive economic conflicts and "managed trade" of the 1970s and 1980s; for the energy transition as a whole, decarbonization of the energy system could be delayed. Long-run gains in specialization and efficiency will require global supply chains; the historical experience of the WTO Information Technology Agreement suggests a way forward for heliopolitical restabilization, so as to ensure future liberalization and growth in the sector.