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ALIX: THE U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION MEETS TODAY TO DISCUSS SOLAR PANELS. JOINING US NOW FROM WASHINGTON IS TOM WERNER, SUNPOWER CEO. ARE YOU GOING TO PLAY A ROLE IN THESE HEARINGS TODAY? TOM: YES, I WILL BE TESTIFYING AT THE HEARING TODAY. ALIX: AND WHAT IS THE GOAL? TOM: SINCE THE FIRST HEARING, SUNPOWER HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN SOLAR POWER IN AMERICA, SO WE ARE REPRESENTING DOMESTIC INDUSTRY. THAT IS REALLY THE QUESTION TODAY, HOW IS THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY DOING SINCE THE TERRACE HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE? IT IS 10 TIMES AS BIG AS IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, SO THE INTENDED EFFECT IS ACTUALLY WORKING. ALIX: HOW, THOUGH, IS IT WORKING? AREN'T THE DUTIES THAT ARE DRIVING UP COSTS FOR DEVELOPERS AND PANEL INSTALLERS LIKE YOURSELF, IN TERMS OF ALSO INDUSTRY WORKERS? ISN'T THAT A NEGATIVE? TOM: ACTUALLY, THE FACTS ARE THAT THE PRICE HAS COME DOWN OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE INDUSTRY HAS ACTUALLY GROWN, AND IMPORTANTLY, THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY IS 10 TIMES THE SIZE IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, WHICH IS RATHER INCREDIBLE. AND IT PRODUCES 25% OF THE PANELS THAT ARE CONSUMED IN AMERICA, UP CONSIDERABLY FROM TWO YEARS AGO, SO IT IS HARD TO DISPUTE THAT THE TARIFFS ARE DOING WHAT THEY WERE INTENDED TO DO. ALIX: WHAT YOU MAKE OF A SUBSIDIES ROLLOFF AT THE END OF THIS YEAR? YOU MIGHT NOT GET AS BANG FOR YOUR BUCK IF YOU ARE GOING TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS. HOW DOES THAT I COMING TO ALL OF THIS? TOM: FOR SUNPOWER, DEMAND IS RATHER INCREDIBLE. THE DISTRIBUTED GENERATION FOR SOLAR IS BETTER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN FOR AMERICA. RESIDENTIAL SOLAR DEMAND IS THE BEST IT HAS EVER BEEN, UP 30% YEAR ON YEAR. COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS ARE COMING TO US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE. SO THE MARKET IS GREAT. COSTS HAVE CONTINUED TO COME DOWN. WE ARE A PREFERRED ENERGY SOURCE DRIVEN BY ECONOMICS. ALIX: DOES THAT SUSTAIN ITSELF IN 2020? TOM: I THINK EVEN MORE SO. WHAT IS COMING IS THE COST OF STORAGE COMING DOWN. WHEN YOU COMBINE STORAGE WITH SOLAR COME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO OPTIMIZE THE USE OF ENERGY, I THINK WE JUST BEGUN. I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE GROWING FASTER THAN EVER. ALIX: AS YOU LOOK AT 20/20 AND YOU STILL HAVE THESE KIND OF MACRO STORIES, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DRIVER FOR YOUR BUSINESS? WHERE IS THE UPSIDE GOING TO COME FROM, AND WHERE IS THE NATURAL RISK GOING TO COME FROM? TOM: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, CONTROL YOUR OWN ENERGY COSTS, AND IT IS ECONOMIC. SECONDLY, STORAGE COSTS ARE COMING DOWN, SO YOU CAN MAKE A MORE RESILIENT GRID, A MORE RESILIENT UTILITY BY HAVING SOLAR PRODUCING ENERGY WHERE YOU CONSUME IT. THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS UNCERTAIN POLICY. POLICY CAN CHANGE THE COST OF CAPITAL. THAT CAN CHANGE THE GROWTH RATE. BUT I THINK REGARDLESS OF THE SCENARIO, WE ARE GOING TO SEE EXCEPTIONAL GROWTH GOING FORWARD. ALIX: NEIL DWANE OF ELIAN'S, YOU HAVE A QUEST -- OF ALLEY ON'S