DOE's Chu Defends Decision to Support Solyndra
At a House hearing marked by partisan rancor, Energy Secretary Steven Chu disputed Republicans' allegations that politics played a role in his decision to approve a loan guarantee to now-bankrupt solar energy company Solyndra.
E-mails obtained and released by Republican committee members have suggested that there was some disagreement within the Obama administration about Solyndra's economic viability. Some lawmakers have suggested that the White House pressured the Dept. of Energy to take Herculean steps to save the foundering company, which declared bankruptcy late this summer.
Chu told the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee at a Nov. 17 hearing that DOE's decision to offer the company a $535-million loan guarantee “absolutely…was made only on the merits.”
He said he took full responsibility for the decision to approve the loan guarantee, but noted that the decision spanned two administrations and was made only after two years of “rigorous technical, financial and legal due diligence.”
But Republican lawmakers, particularly subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), questioned Chu’s management of the loan program. They grilled him about the degree to which he was pressured by the White House to make sure the company—viewed as a centerpiece of President Obama’s clean-energy agenda—succeeded.
Stearns also raised the issue of the loan-guarantee program's overall viability. Two of the first three firms to receive loans under Chu’s leadership have gone bankrupt, including Solyndra. Stearns said, “If Solyndra really is a litmus test, we have a much bigger problem on our hands.”
Democrats criticized the way the Republicans were conducting the investigation, which was launched this spring.
“Unfortunately, the [Republican] majority to date has focused on firing partisan broadsides at the Obama administration.” <br/><br/>It would appear that most any question asked of the a...
It would appear that most any question asked of the administration results in a hit below the waterline. Chu needs to resign.
Dr. Chu should not resign. The Government solely needs highest scientific talent.The United States just lost a Nobel Prize Winner to another country. The head of Rockefeller University,...
The abuse heaped upon Dr. Chu shows how vicious politics can be and why a political career is avoided by many. For example he was called a "fall guy", "an incompetent" and by implication someone who took the job for the money when he was told that his $200,000 salary is secure.
The fanaticism is illustrated when in the morass of the legal jungle a legal opinion was produced that stated that putting private investors ahead of taxpayers in recovery of what assets remained was "reasonable" was denounced by some congressman saying something like "reasonable isn't true or reasonable isn't certain"
You look at 100 years of completely fraudulent data for the 4.5 Billion year old earth then declare that only investing in solar energy can save the earth from the evils of a climate th...
I watched the full hearing and it was clear from the unnecessary repetitions, speeches and interruptions of Dr. Chu that the primary object of the hearing was to highlight what may be a...
There are five key words completely lacking in today's American vocabularly:-<br/><br/> TRANSPARENCY; ACCOUNTABILITY; RESPONSIBILTY; COMPETENCY; CONSEQUENCES<br/><br/>Just because Dr. ...
TRANSPARENCY; ACCOUNTABILITY; RESPONSIBILTY; COMPETENCY; CONSEQUENCES
Just because Dr. Chu is a Physics Noble Prize winner, does not mean that he is necessarily a COMPETENT manager.
The Solyndra deal was not executed in a TRANSPARENT manner. Chu is not a COMPETENT manager and he refuses to take RESPONSIBILITY for his actions. He should be made to bear the full CONSEQUENCES of his actions.
Just look at his performance at the Congressional hearing. He seemed a clueless genius, apt at repeating all the old talking points about green energy. Take him back to the laboratory and appoint a competent manager to lead the competition on green energy with China, Germany and all the other "Green Success Stories" out there.
Finally, every person appointed to public office must be made to bear full responsibilties for their ACTIONS (or lack of it) at all times. We can no longer afford to hide behind Party, Race or Gender.
Agreed just because Dr. Chu is a Nobel prize winner does not necessarily mean he is a competent manager, but it increases the probability he is, and after all Dr. Chu has had Government...
It is beyond dispute that at the start part government financing for Solyndra was justified. Also beyond dispute is that there was a sharp drop in the cost of solar panels, a drop of 70% in 2 1/2 years that was not predicted at the start of the Solyndra startup that was not anticipated. So far the case has not been made that the actions taken by the government were not reasonable at the time.
There should be no doubt to anyone who watched the hearings that it was practically nothing but a show trial put on by Republicans to embarrass the Democrats. For example when the hearings were interrupted by the need to vote, the Democrats suggested this was a good time to terminate the hearings since everything that could be said was said and repeated. The Republicans objected and more of the valuable time of Dr. Chu was taken up as the Republicans gave the same speeches and asked Dr. Chu the same questions they did before, while the Democrats abstained from further speeches and questions.
