American Steel Forges New Path for Faster US Solar Projects

FREMONT, NH – February 17, 2026 – In a significant move to accelerate the nation's transition to clean energy, legacy manufacturer American Steel and Aluminum (ASA) today announced the launch of a domestically produced steel ground screw. The new offering is designed to provide a critical foundation component for solar projects, directly addressing industry-wide demands for shorter lead times and a more resilient domestic supply chain.

Manufactured at a dedicated facility here in New Hampshire, the product enters a market hungry for reliable, American-made components. As solar developers and EPCs (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) race to meet ambitious climate goals, they are often hampered by logistical delays and supply chain volatility associated with foreign-sourced materials. ASA's vertically integrated approach—controlling production from raw steel to finished screw—aims to eliminate these bottlenecks, ensuring predictable timelines for the foundational stage of solar construction.

Bolstering America's Clean Energy Supply Chain

The timing of ASA's announcement is no coincidence. The launch aligns perfectly with a major national push to onshore renewable energy manufacturing, heavily incentivized by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA offers a substantial 10% bonus tax credit for projects that meet domestic content requirements, a powerful financial driver for developers to source components like steel foundations from U.S. manufacturers.

This policy has ignited a surge in domestic investment, as companies rush to build out a supply chain capable of supporting America's energy independence. Industry groups like the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) have set ambitious goals to establish 50 GW of solar manufacturing capacity by 2030, citing domestic production as vital for both national security and economic stability. ASA's entry into the solar market represents a tangible step toward that goal, leveraging its existing infrastructure to fill a critical gap in the supply chain.

"It's a natural fit between what solar developers need and what we can uniquely provide," said Sam Blatchford, President of American Steel and Aluminum, in a statement. "Our locations, expertise, and company structure lend themselves to the headache-free delivery needed to support the foundational stage of domestic solar development, especially with energy demand on the rise nationwide."

The company’s ability to offer fully traceable, high-strength domestic steel provides developers with the documentation and assurance needed to qualify for the IRA's lucrative incentives, making the choice of foundation a strategic financial decision as well as a logistical one.

Accelerating Deployment from the Ground Up

Beyond policy incentives, the practical advantages of ASA's ground screws address a core challenge in the field: construction speed. Traditional solar foundations often rely on poured concrete, a process that is time-consuming, weather-dependent, and carbon-intensive. Ground screws, by contrast, are drilled directly into the earth, providing a stable foundation in a fraction of the time and without the need for excavation or curing.

This efficiency is particularly valuable in a market where project delays can lead to significant cost overruns and missed deadlines. By manufacturing the screws in New England with a company-owned fleet, ASA can dramatically reduce lead times from months to weeks, allowing construction to proceed on schedule.

"I know from experience how crucial the foundation is for solar developers and their industry partners," noted Robert Souliere, Director of Business Development at American Steel and Aluminum and a longtime energy infrastructure developer. "This steel ground screw was developed to address that challenge directly, engineered to reduce early-stage delays and downstream supply-chain risk that can affect project execution." The product is designed for compatibility with most major solar tracker and fixed-tilt racking systems, offering a versatile solution for utility-scale projects.

A Legacy of Steel Forges a Renewable Future

While a new player in the solar sector, American Steel and Aluminum is a veteran of American industry. Founded in 1806, the company has spent over two centuries honing its manufacturing discipline across some of the nation's most demanding sectors, including U.S. defense, shipbuilding, and data storage. This deep-rooted expertise in producing high-tolerance, durable steel components provides a powerful foundation of trust and quality for its new solar offering.

The pivot to renewable energy infrastructure is a strategic expansion for the historic company, applying its time-tested capabilities to one of the 21st century's fastest-growing markets. The same rigor required to supply the U.S. military is now being directed toward producing foundations that must withstand decades of environmental exposure while supporting multi-million-dollar energy assets.

"This fits perfectly with our company ethos of world-class innovation and our enduring tradition of partnering with American innovators," Blatchford added, highlighting the cultural alignment between the company's past and its future in clean energy.

Navigating a Competitive, Policy-Driven Market

ASA is entering a competitive landscape where the call for "Made in America" is growing louder. Other manufacturers, such as TerraSmart and American Ground Screw, are also scaling up domestic production to capture the demand spurred by the IRA. This burgeoning competition signals a healthy and rapid maturation of the U.S. solar supply chain, giving developers more options to de-risk their projects and maximize federal incentives.

The broader context reveals that while the U.S. has made strides in manufacturing solar modules, the upstream and ancillary supply chains for components like racking, inverters, and foundations are still developing. ASA's focus on a fundamental steel product helps solidify a lower link in that chain, providing a crucial building block for the entire ecosystem.

Available for immediate order for the 2026 construction season, ASA's ground screws are poised to become a key component in the nationwide effort to build a cleaner, more resilient energy grid. By combining manufacturing heritage with forward-looking strategy, the company is providing solar developers not just a piece of steel, but a faster and more secure path to project completion.