• The Heritage Network
    • Resize:
    • A
    • A
    • A
  • Donate
  • Department of Energy

    Another Green Failure: A123 Files for Bankruptcy

    A123, recipient of a $249 million Department of Energy manufacturing grant, warned of impending debt default and cash problems that forced the company to seek bankruptcy protection. With 14 straight quarterly losses–nearly $83 million in 2nd Quarter 2012 and $125 million in the previous quarter, on top of $258 million … More

    House Committee Launches Document Probe Into DOE, Abound Solar

    Bankrupt solar module manufacturer Abound Solar, recipient of a Department of Energy loan guarantee of $400 million, and the subject of an official investigation in its home state of Colorado, now faces additional scrutiny in the form of a document probe from the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The letter … More

    Bankrupt DOE Loan Recipient Abound Solar Under Investigation, Panels Suffered “Catastrophic Failure”

    Abound Solar, a Department of Energy $400 million loan guarantee recipient that went bankrupt earlier this year, is under investigation by officials in Weld County, Colorado. The company, which received nearly $70 million in loan funding before payments were cut off by DOE in 2011, also received a $100,000 tax … More

    Conservatives Outline Policy Agenda Following Presidential Debate

    DENVER — Members of The Heritage Foundation’s policy team joined experts from across the country at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Colorado. The event included a surprise visit from former Governor Mitt Romney and speeches by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and John Thune (R-SD). Heritage experts … More

    Energy Dept. Spends $10 Million on Water Turbine to Power 25 Houses

    Photo credit courtesy of NREL The first underwater turbine to make use of tidal energy went live last week in Maine, supported by a $10 million investment by the Department of Energy. The Ocean Renewable Power Company Maine’s Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy Pilot Project received the Energy Department money to … More

    Government Offers $10 Million Prize to Make Solar More “Cost-Competitive”

    U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a new $10 million Department of Energy competition last week to reduce the price of installing solar panels. The goal is to make the technology more “cost-competitive” by the end of the decade. The prize is part of the SunShot Initiative, a program runs … More

    Ex-Im Bank Makes $2 Billion Loan for South Africa Green-Energy Projects

    The U.S. Export-Import Bank inked a $2 billion clean-energy loan offer with South Africa to help fund the country’s green-energy push and drum up sales for America’s renewable industry, according to an announcement made last week. The 18-year loans will target wind, solar and thermal power in particular, said Fred … More

    China’s Wanxiang Poised to Take 80% Stake in DOE Grant Recipient A123

    A123, the U.S. manufacturer of green-tech batteries that received millions in government aid, today announced a “memorandum of understanding” between it and Chinese auto giant Wanxiang. It totals up to $450 million in a bailout of debt purchasing and other cash infusions that would grant Wanxiang 80 percent controlling interest … More

    Morning Bell: Solyndra Revelations Show It’s Time to Close the “Bank of Washington”

    “The Bank of Washington continues to help us!” bragged Solyndra CEO Chris Gronet in emails released last week. An investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee revealed that Solyndra—the solar company that went under, taking more than $600 million in taxpayer funds with it—wasn’t ever supposed to be an … More

    Abound Solar: Doomed to Fail Because of Election-Year Politics, Investor Says

    One of Abound Solar’s venture capital investors blamed election-year political games for the collapse of the Colorado-based thin film solar panel manufacturer, according to a new interview. John Hill, discussing the demise of a company and technology he invested in both financially and emotionally, acknowledged that the company’s troubles could … More