Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition

What Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition does

SEMA Coalition is a non-profit industry trade association founded in 2021 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., that represents nearly 20 non-Chinese U.S. solar manufacturers across the polysilicon-to-module value chain. Its core function is federal policy advocacy: the coalition develops and defends legislative and regulatory measures supporting domestic solar manufacturing reshoring, most notably the Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit, which it originated and which was enacted as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and successfully defended in the July 2025 tax bill. The coalition also engages on Section 301 tariffs, the 48C Program, Build America, Buy America rules, and USTR reviews on Chinese trade practices. SEMA's members collectively represent approximately 14,500 existing U.S. workers and 45,000 planned manufacturing jobs, with Steering Committee anchors including First Solar, Qcells, Corning, Wacker Chemie, and HSC (Hanwha).

The organization operates with a lean team of approximately six staff supplemented by personnel from Mission Strategies (a closely affiliated advocacy firm), led by Executive Director Michael Carr, a former DOE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Senate Energy Committee counsel. SEMA is funded through recurring membership dues from its manufacturer members, with dues structures not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is community-led policy advocacy rather than commercial sales, leveraging earned media (press releases, fact sheets, comment letters), organic social channels (LinkedIn, X), email newsletters, and direct engagement with Congress and federal agencies (Treasury, DOE, USTR, Commerce). SEMA does not develop, sell, or license any technology products; its "deliverables" are policy outputs, member communications, and informational content such as the 2026 Blue Wafer Tax Credit Abuse Factsheet and the latest HUD BABA RFI comments.

Name

Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition

Legal name

Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition

Website

https://semacoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SEMA Coalition is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit trade association founded in 2021 that advocates federal policy supporting U.S. solar manufacturing reshoring, representing approximately 20 non-Chinese manufacturers across the polysilicon-to-module value chain through membership dues and bipartisan lobbying.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ)

Keywords

• Solar manufacturing advocacy
• Clean energy policy
• Solar trade association
• Domestic solar supply chain
• Renewable energy coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SEMA Coalition is funded through membership dues from solar manufacturers. The coalition states it is 'funded through coalition member support.' Members include solar manufacturers across the value chain (polysilicon, wafers, cells, modules).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SEMA Coalition is a non-profit policy advocacy coalition that represents U.S. solar manufacturers across the value chain—polysilicon, wafers, cells, and modules—through legislative and regulatory advocacy. It works to advance federal policies (such as the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit) that support domestic solar manufacturing, while engaging Congress, the executive branch, and partner industries on trade, supply chain, and energy security issues. Its core activity is coalition-building, lobbying, and policy research rather than the production or sale of solar hardware.

Product overview

SEMA Coalition is not a product company — it is a policy advocacy coalition focused on advancing U.S. solar manufacturing through legislative and regulatory advocacy. The organization does not develop, sell, or license technology products. Its activities include publishing news releases, policy analysis, fact sheets, and member communications; it maintains a public website offering news and resources, but these are informational content, not commercial product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coalition Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,500+ U.S. workers represented by coalition members
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tandem PVminorOthers · 21 November 2024Joined coalition in November 2024. Silicon Valley-based perovskite solar technology company founded in 2016, developing tandem panels that are 30% more efficient than traditional silicon panels. Has raised $33 million in venture capital and government funds.
• Highland MaterialscoreOthers · 19 April 2024Coalition member that received $255.6 million allocation from the 48C Program to build a next-generation polysilicon plant. Company has patent-protected silicon purification technology with 90% reduction in carbon emissions compared to competitors.
• First SolarcoreOthers · 1 January 2021Steering Committee member and major coalition supporter. First Solar is a leading U.S.-based thin-film solar module manufacturer with facilities in Ohio, Alabama, and Louisiana, manufacturing panels used in projects including agrivoltaic installations.
• CorningcoreOthers · 1 January 2021Steering Committee member. Materials technology company serving the solar industry with glass and materials solutions.
• Wacker ChemiecoreOthers · 1 January 2021Steering Committee member. Materials/silicon manufacturer supporting the solar supply chain.
• QcellscoreOthers · 1 January 2021Steering Committee member. U.S. solar manufacturing operations with significant domestic production capacity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA): Trade association representing the U.S. semiconductor industry. Highly comparable advocacy model focused on semiconductor manufacturing reshoring, including tax credits (CHIPS Act) and trade policy enforcement against foreign competition.
• Information Technology Industry Council (ITI): Global trade association representing leading information and communications technology companies. Comparable policy advocacy model for technology manufacturing competitiveness, trade, and supply chain policy.
• Consumer Technology Association (CTA): Trade association representing the consumer technology industry with extensive federal and state policy advocacy operations. Comparable membership model with focus on technology manufacturing and supply chain policy.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): Largest U.S. manufacturing trade association representing 14,000+ member companies across all manufacturing sectors. Provides broader policy advocacy infrastructure that SEMA Coalition leverages for its narrower solar manufacturing focus.
• NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association): Trade association representing electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers. Comparable membership-funded association model with policy advocacy in trade, tax, and supply chain security.

Direct peers

• American Clean Power Association (ACP): Clean energy trade association representing wind, solar, storage, and transmission companies. Like SEMA, ACP advocates for clean energy manufacturing policies and represents companies across the renewable energy supply chain.
• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): The leading U.S. solar industry trade association covering developers, installers, and manufacturers. SEIA shares overlapping manufacturer constituencies with SEMA and advocates for similar pro-solar-manufacturing policies at the federal level.
• Alliance for American Manufacturing: Partnership between manufacturers and the United Steelworkers that advocates for domestic manufacturing policy. Closely comparable advocacy model targeting U.S. manufacturing reshoring and trade enforcement against unfair foreign competition.
• Advanced Energy Economy (AEE): National business association for advanced energy companies. AEE engages in comparable federal and state policy advocacy for clean energy technologies and represents a member base with overlapping manufacturing interests.

Regional players

• Clean Energy Council: Australian peak industry body for the clean energy sector. Comparable trade association model representing clean energy companies with policy advocacy focus, but operating primarily in the Australian market rather than the U.S.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sema_coalition
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solar-energy-manufacturers-for-america-sema-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition