Exclusive: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin questioning the wisdom of the Pentagon’s plan to use $104 million in taxpayer funds to install solar panels on the Pentagon’s rooftops.
The Virginia Republican told Austin he has “serious concerns” about plans to put solar panels on the roofs of the Pentagon and other military facilities, particularly the lack of “an explicit requirement that such panels must be manufactured in the United States using American technology.”
“This decision has significant implications for the national security of the United States and raises questions about whether American taxpayer dollars should be used to purchase solar energy assets from our largest economic and geopolitical rival, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” the letter, seen by Fox News Digital, said.
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Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The letter came after the Defense Department announced the plan in January, which it said was part of the Biden administration’s efforts to promote clean energy and “reposition the federal government as a leader in sustainability.”
The Pentagon is just one of 31 government facilities set to receive a $104 million grant from the Department of Energy, with projects also taking place at the U.S. Army Garrison in Wiesbaden, Germany, and elsewhere, according to a January PBS report.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (Ian Waldie/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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However, Youngkin expressed several concerns about the plan, noting that “companies heavily influenced or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party dominate the global solar power supply chain,” and that it is important for the Department of Defense to “require that military solar panel procurement come from verified domestic manufacturers with trusted supply chains.”
In addition to the national security implications, the governor cited other issues, noting that Chinese solar panels have a higher carbon footprint than U.S. producers and often rely on forced labor to make them.
The Pentagon as seen from Air Force One flying over Washington on March 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
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“I have serious questions about the prioritization of this investment and the impact this potential procurement would have on national security,” Youngkin concluded. “If this goes ahead, I urge you to ensure that all hardware installed on the Pentagon roof is manufactured in the United States and that the materials of construction are domestically sourced.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
