Hanwha Qcells hires ex-Tesla lobbyist amid U.S. lobbying push

Joe Mendelson

Hanwha Qcells, a subsidiary of Hanwha Solutions Corp., has hired a former Tesla Inc. lobbyist as it expands its U.S. lobbying efforts in response to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

According to Politico on Wednesday, Joe Mendelson, who previously managed government and congressional relations for Tesla‘s trade and clean energy initiatives, has joined Hanwha Qcells as vice president and head of public policy and government affairs.

Data from OpenSecrets, an organization that tracks U.S. lobbying spending, shows that renewable energy interests spent $60 million on lobbying in 2023. Hanwha Qcells’ own lobbying expenditures jumped from $900,000 in 2022, when the IRA passed, to $2.2 million in the first half of 2023.

The company previously hired Danny O‘Brien, a former aide to President Joe Biden, to lead its U.S. policy, communications, and sustainability efforts. Hanwha Qcells also registered its first in-house lobbyist and appointed a former director of communications for the U.S. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America as its spokesperson. The company also contracted with two lobbying firms in 2023 and has added three more in 2024 to date.

The company is working on its “Solar Hub” project, a $2.5 billion investment to build an integrated solar value chain in Georgia.