Certain TOPCon Solar Cells, Modules, Panels, Components Thereof, and Products Containing Same; Institution of Investigation

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: The authority for institution of this investigation is contained in section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, and in section 210.10 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10 (2024).

Scope of Investigation: Having considered the complaint, the U.S. International Trade Commission, on October 30, 2024, Ordered that —

(1) Pursuant to subsection (b) of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, an investigation be instituted to determine whether there is a violation of subsection (a)(1)(B) of section 337 in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, or the sale within the United States after importation of certain products identified in paragraph (2) by reason of infringement of one or more of claims 1-11 of the '104 patent and claims 1-14, 16, and 17 of the '009 patent, and whether an industry in the United States exists or is in the process of being established as required by subsection (a)(2) of section 337;

(2) Pursuant to section 210.10(b)(1) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10(b)(1), the plain language description of the accused products or category of accused products, which defines the scope of the investigation, is “Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (`TOPCon') solar cells that include an isolation portion in an edge portion of a silicon semiconductor substrate and that prevents contact between two opposite type conductive semiconductor regions and solar modules and panels that include such solar cells”;

(3) Pursuant to Commission Rule 210.50(b)(l), 19 CFR 210.50(b)(1), the presiding administrative law judge shall take evidence or other information and hear arguments from the parties or other interested persons with respect to the public interest in this investigation, as appropriate, and provide the Commission with findings of fact and a recommended determination on this issue, which shall be limited to the statutory public interest factors set forth in 19 U.S.C. l337(d)(l), (f)(1), (g)(1);

(4) For the purpose of the investigation so instituted, the following are hereby named as parties upon which this notice of investigation shall be served:

(a) The complainants are:

Trina Solar (U.S.), Inc., 7100 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538

Trina Solar US Manufacturing Module 1, LLC, Tradepoint 45 West, 1200 Sunrise Road, Wilmer, TX 75172

Trina Solar Co., Ltd., No. 2 Tianhe Road, Trina PV Industrial Park, Xinbei District, Jiangsu Province, China, 213031

(b) The respondents are the following entities alleged to be in violation of section 337, and are the parties upon which the complaint is to be served:

Runergy USA Inc., 6200 Stoneridge Mall Road, Suite 300, Pleasanton, CA 94588

Runergy Alabama Inc., 4905 Moores Mill Road, Huntsville, AL 35811

Jiangsu Runergy New Energy Technology, Co., Ltd., No. 58 Xiangjiang Road, Economic & Technological Development, Zone, Yangcheng City, Jiangsu Province, China, 22400

Adani Solar USA Inc., 1125 Executive Circle, Suite 130, Irving, TX 75038

Adani Green Energy Ltd., Adani Corporate House, Shantigram, Near Vaishnodevi Circle, SG Highway, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, 382421

(c) The Office of Unfair Import Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20436; and

(5) For the investigation so instituted, the Chief Administrative Law Judge, U.S. International Trade Commission, shall designate the presiding Administrative Law Judge.

Responses to the complaint and the notice of investigation must be submitted by the named respondents in accordance with section 210.13 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, 19 CFR 210.13. Pursuant to 19 CFR 201.16(e) and 210.13(a), as amended in 85 FR 15798 (March 19, 2020), such responses will be considered by the Commission if received not later than 20 days after the date of service by the complainants of the complaint and the notice of investigation. Extensions of time for submitting responses to the complaint and the notice of investigation will not be granted unless good cause therefor is shown.

Failure of a respondent to file a timely response to each allegation in the complaint and in this notice may be deemed to constitute a waiver of the right to appear and contest the allegations of the complaint and this notice, and to authorize the administrative law judge and the Commission, without further notice to the respondent, to find the facts to be as alleged in the complaint and this notice and to enter an initial determination and a final determination containing such findings, and may result in the issuance of an exclusion order or a cease and desist order or both directed against the respondent.

[FR Doc. 2024-25671 Filed 11-4-24; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7020-02-P