Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing the Texas Senate to haul in executives from two solar companies with major operations in the state, saying he wants answers about alleged financial ties to Chinese-backed firms. Patrick said leaders from Canadian Solar and Austin-based T1 Energy should be summoned to testify before the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, with hearings planned for early next year, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
Patrick said the companies’ leaders will be called in to explain their ownership structures and cited a national news report as the trigger for his push. He pointed to a San Antonio Express-News article and wrote on social media, “Based on a new report, it appears China may have a major stake in 2 solar companies in Texas.”
The companies named
Ontario-based Canadian Solar has been expanding into U.S. manufacturing and development projects, including a planned U.S. solar cell facility and additional module assembly capacity, as per PR Newswire. The firm has pitched that buildout as part of a broader North American manufacturing footprint.
Austin-headquartered T1 Energy, which rebranded from FREYR and acquired Texas manufacturing assets, operates a solar module plant in the Dallas area and is moving ahead with plans for a 5-gigawatt U.S. cell facility, the company said in a Canadian Solar release and a T1 Energy press statement.
What Fox News reported
The Fox News piece alleged that Chinese-backed corporations hold stakes in some North American solar companies and highlighted ownership links and board relationships that the story argued warrant closer scrutiny. The outlet also reported that it had reached out to Canadian Solar and Trina Solar for comment as part of its reporting.
Political backdrop in Austin
Patrick’s move drops into a Legislature that has already been on high alert about foreign influence in critical infrastructure. The Republican-led body in recent sessions has passed measures aimed at limiting foreign interference on the power grid, and this year approved restrictions on certain Chinese nationals and businesses buying Texas land, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
Legal implications
At the federal level, new guidance and rules defining “Foreign Entity of Concern” (FEOCs) could complicate which projects qualify for certain clean energy tax incentives, Fox News notes. The Department of Energy has issued interpretive guidance to help determine FEOC status.
Legal analysts say changes bundled into recent federal legislation could make ownership shares, board seats, and contractual rights critical in deciding whether projects or manufacturers qualify for Inflation Reduction Act-era credits and other incentives. That adds a technical legal layer to whatever the Senate review uncovers, even if the political rhetoric stays hot.
What’s next
Patrick said executives from Canadian Solar and T1 Energy will be asked to appear before the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, chaired by Sen. Charles Schwertner, with hearings expected in early 2026. Committee leaders have the power to compel testimony and documents as they dig into ownership structures, domestic content plans, and compliance with federal rules, and the panel’s timetable will determine how fast that work advances.
The unfolding inquiry sets Texas’s push for onshore solar manufacturing and job growth against intensifying scrutiny of foreign ties and national security concerns, as lawmakers wrestle with where to draw the line on acceptable ownership and control in a rapidly shifting policy landscape.
