PERRYSBURG, Ohio — First Solar and Toledo Solar have reached a settlement, according to a press release from Toledo Solar issued Thursday, following a federal lawsuit made against Toledo Solar in May that claimed they misrepresented First Solar's product as their own.
In the press release, newly elected Toledo Solar Chairman Sean Fontenot extended appreciation to First Solar for the matter's resolution and reflected on Toledo Solar's current management.
"We appreciate First Solar's understanding and quick resolution of this matter stemming from the unfortunate actions taken by the company's prior management team," Fontenot said. "The Company is now operating well under new management. We look forward to continuing to work alongside First Solar as the anchor manufacturers of the US-MAC and CTAC consortia to strengthen U.S. leadership in strategic domestic manufacturing of Cadmium Telluride-based solar panels."
Fontenot and Tom Pratt were recently appointed to executive positions at Toledo Solar, according to an announcement from the company in July 2023.
In the lawsuit, First Solar claimed Toledo Solar misrepresented the panels provided for the Ohio's governor's mansion as its own products made in the United States when those panels were made by First Solar in Malaysia.
The governor's mansion first installed First Solar solar panels in 2004. In early 2022, according to the complaint, a representative of the non-profit Green Energy Ohio contacted the company to ask about how to dispose of the old panels as the mansion planned to replace them with new solar panels.
The terms of the settlement will remain confidential, a representative from Toledo Solar said.