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    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

    VIDEO: Pre-Presidential Debate Highlights Policy Differences

    DENVER — Conservatives and progressives duked it out over policy Wednesday morning ahead of the first presidential debate of 2012 at the University of Denver. The Heritage Foundation and The Independence Institute hosted a wide-ranging pre-presidential policy debate in Denver, featuring policy experts and commentators from both sides of the … More

    Michigan’s Mandate for Pricier Energy

    If an energy technology has so much promise, why would you need a constitutional amendment to require its production? Energy consumers in Michigan should be asking this question. On the Michigan ballot this November is Proposal 3, or “25 x 25,” which sets out to amend the Michigan constitution to … More

    Based on Market Demands, Toyota Says No to New Electric Car

    The market demand for all-electric cars envisioned by Toyota Motor Corporation has not materialized according to the company, forcing it to shed a projected battery-powered minicar line. The company is taking a different tack than its counterparts at General Motors or Nissan, planning to offer only 100 eQ all-electric vehicles … 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

    Energy Department Touts Solar Power That Generates 0.14% of Electricity

    The U.S. Department of Energy this week touted the growth of solar power, complete with an impressive chart that boasts, “Solar Generation Has a Bright Future.” Yet a closer look at solar’s overall role reveals that it represented just 0.14 percent of the total electric power generated and consumed in June. The … More