Panasonic Corp has said that its production of photovoltaic cells and modules at Gigafactory New York in Buffalo will cease by the end of May, and it is scheduled to leave the facility by the end of September (www.panasonic.com).

That said, the company will support Tesla in its efforts to hire qualified applicants from the ‘impacted workforce’ for its own solar and energy manufacturing operations in Buffalo.

Panasonic’s decision is part of a broader streamlining of its global solar operations and will have ‘no impact’ on
its partnership with Tesla in Nevada, where the two companies will continue their ‘industry-leading’ electric-vehicle battery work at Tesla’s Gigafactory, located outside Reno.

Shinichiro Nakajima, director of Panasonic’s Energy System Strategic Business, said: “We are proud of what Panasonic has accomplished as a pioneer in the solar space and the significant role that Panasonic employees in Buffalo have played in that success.

“The decision to transition away from US solar manufacturing in Buffalo aligns with our global solar strategy, plus our efforts to optimise development and production; it also supports Tesla’s long-term plans to continue and expand its operations.”

Panasonic will provide a severance package that includes out-placement support, and Tesla says it hopes to hire
as many qualified Panasonic applicants as possible to help fill job openings at its growing operations in Buffalo.