News & Events
FUELED Explores Utility-Scale Solar & American Manufacturing with First Solar CCO Georges Antoun

News & Events

FUELED Explores Utility-Scale Solar & American Manufacturing with First Solar CCO Georges Antoun

August 10, 2026

FUELED: Powering Louisiana’s Future continues its exploration of Louisiana’s electric industry with a closer look at utility-scale solar, advanced manufacturing, and the new generation required to meet growing power demand.

In Episode 4, Kathryn Fenstermaker sits down with Georges Antoun, Chief Commercial Officer of First Solar, to discuss the role of utility-scale solar in the broader power ecosystem, the importance of domestic manufacturing, and the forces reshaping how America produces electricity.

The conversation also brings the story home to Louisiana. Antoun discusses First Solar’s $1.1 billion manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, the workforce and infrastructure that helped attract the investment, and how artificial intelligence, automation, and advanced manufacturing are changing the way solar technology is produced at scale.

Episode Highlights

Understanding the role of utility-scale solar in a diversified generation portfolio.
How utility-scale solar differs from rooftop solar in scale, cost, and grid integration.
Why First Solar chose Iberia Parish for its $1.1 billion manufacturing investment.
The importance of Louisiana’s skilled workforce and transferable energy-sector experience.
How AI, automation, sensors, and advanced technology are transforming solar manufacturing.
Strengthening American manufacturing and domestic energy supply chains.
Responding to growing electricity demand from AI, data centers, industrial development, and electrification.
The challenges of interconnection, permitting, supply chains, and bringing new generation online.
Balancing reliability, affordability, speed, and diversity as the nation builds its future energy portfolio.
Louisiana’s opportunity to participate in the next generation of American energy and advanced manufacturing.

As Season 6 continues, FUELED expands the conversation from how electricity is delivered and protected to how new power is generated. Through discussions with leaders across the industry, the series examines the infrastructure, investment, technology, and people shaping Louisiana’s energy future.