U.S. trade officials on Monday said they will launch an investigation that could result in tariffs on solar panels imported from four Southeast Asian nations, a blow to clean energy project developers that rely on cheap imports to keep costs down. The Commerce Department’s decision regarding imports from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia was a victory for Auxin Solar. The San Jose, California-based solar manufacturer this year requested the probe, arguing that Chinese manufacturers shifted production to those nations to avoid paying U.S. duties on Chinese-made solar goods in place for nearly a decade . Auxin’s petition is the latest in a string of efforts by U.S. solar producers to stem the flow of cheap Asian panels that they argue make their products unable to compete in the market. Solar industry trade groups said the investigation alone would immediately hamstring project development and harm U.S. progress in addressing climate change. …