Nextracker, Philadelphia, PA, has announced a major expansion at their Leetsdale, Pennsylvania steel facility, in collaboration with JENNMAR subsidiary JM Steel. This expansion has successfully tripled the factory’s capacity to support the growing demand for solar energy in Pennsylvania and the broader mid-Atlantic region.
The Leetsdale facility, originally built during World War II to produce materials for tank landing ships, has been transformed into a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub for critical steel components needed for solar projects. With the completion of the latest enhancements, the facility now boasts a production capacity of 4 GW, significantly bolstering the U.S. supply chain for renewable energy.
The expansion not only increases the facility’s output but also underscores JENNMAR’s commitment to the solar energy sector, with investments surpassing $100 million over the past four years. Tony Calandra, CEO of JENNMAR, highlighted the historic nature of the site and its significance to the community, “We are proud to announce the expansion of this historic steel factory in Pittsburgh—which we have been honored to call our home for more than 100 years. This partnership with Nextracker allows for significant investment in advanced manufacturing and brings high-quality jobs back to our communities.”
The project has created 60 new manufacturing jobs and is a key component of Nextracker’s strategy to enhance its U.S. manufacturing footprint, which has seen the company add 20 new or expanded U.S. manufacturing facilities since 2021. The expanded capacity allows Nextracker to supply over 25 GW of U.S. solar tracker capacity annually.
The expansion represents a strategic step towards securing a robust U.S. supply chain in solar energy, critical to meeting the energy demands of the future and enhancing the economic and environmental health of the region.
