One foot on a banana peel, the other in the grave. That’s where Fisker Automotive and SoloPower find themselves, struggling for survival despite generous government handouts in the form of loan guarantees and tax breaks. Should either company take a turn for the worse, a tombstone in Heritage’s “Green Graveyard” …
In the interest of trying to make better choices for consumers, Congress has been determined to legislate efficiency mandates for American homes and businesses since the late 1970s. The latest and much-awaited efficiency legislation is being reintroduced in the Senate tomorrow, with a House companion bill coming as early as …
Despite a fiscal cliff and sequestration worries, more than $1.2 billion in cash payments for energy projects (in lieu of tax credits) have been issued by the Department of Treasury and Department of Energy since January 1, according to documents from the U.S. Treasury. Through February 14, $1,254,769,726 was distributed …
Solar Mosaic, a solar microfinancing outfit that received a $2 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant last summer and exploits a 30 percent federal tax credit, officially launched its crowd-sourced investment platform last week. Acknowledging that the microfinancing (financial services for small projects or businesses) model employed by Solar Mosaic …
In a recent interview with Platts Energy Week TV, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), incoming chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, discussed his plans to revise government loan programs that he claimed don’t do enough to boost innovative green energy projects. “Right now they’re not doing enough to encourage …
A pair of foreign-owned solar companies that benefited from a combined $84 million in Energy Department tax credits have announced they will lay off employees. One of the companies, German-owned SolarWorld, was integral in the fight for tariffs against the importation of Chinese photovoltaic solar panels. The other, Chinese company SunTech, blamed …
“We need green energy. Just not here.” Do those words sound familiar? That’s quite often the case with so-called proponents of green energy. The acronym NIMBY (not in my back yard) should really be replaced with BANANA (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything), according to Ryan Yonk, coauthor of a …
A solar company that got a multi-million-dollar grant from the Department of Energy earlier this year announced Wednesday that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, making it the second taxpayer-backed green energy company to file for bankruptcy this week. Satcon Technology Corp. announced the decision in a Wednesday …
It is no secret that President Obama’s and green energy supporters’ (from both parties) foray into venture capitalism has not gone well. But the extent of its failure has been largely ignored by the press. Sure, single instances garner attention as they happen, but they ignore past failures in order …