Renewable Energy Corporation ASA announced on January 11, 2013, a temporary 2,400-tone cut in production of solar grade silicon at its US factory in the US state of Washington. The company decided to reduce the output at its Polysilicon I facility where the Siemens-based solar grade chunk material is produced due to persisting unfavorable market and pricing conditions. The company expects to produce a total of 20,000 tones of granular solar grade polysilicon and electronic grade polysilicon in 2013 at its Butte facility.

The cut in production will result in the loss of 46 positions, but some of the laid off employees will fill existing vacancies at other facilities of REC's silicon division.