The Solyndra standard: on loan guarantees, military spending, and clean energy policy

This is the second test failed in a row for the WaveRider - an aircraft technology, which the military close to $300 million on the development between spent already has. And this is only on a program. We have worked on Hypersonic Flight programs since the 1960?s.

But even with more than a quarter billion dollars in hardware now sits in the Pacific Ocean (small change for the Pentagon) not we have heard a view from anyone in Washington on the crash. No calls for an investigation of the Congress, no outrage over hundreds of millions of dollars fall in 15 seconds, no public floggings mod Guide.

But hell, if a few innovative clean energy companies receive crash after support from the Federal Government, they are used as a tool by the national Republican party, to make the idea of strategic investments in Cleantech in question.

It is almost a year since Solyndra, the solar producers who receive a loan guarantee for $527 million in bankruptcy. Since then, House lawmakers have held 12 hearings and meet official, bought more than 300,000 documents, two Subpenas, and probably more than $1 million for the investigation issued.

What did they find?

"No evidence of wrong-doing," reported Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

The Washington Post went further in a recent study: "the records are not produced, that someone under pressure the Department of energy the Solyndra loan used to approve participants in favour of political."

This is not to say that we from the bankruptcy of Solyndra and other clean energy companies should shrug. Congress is mission to determine whether the tax makes sense - issued and throws you a view of the causes and consequences of such incidents is important for transparency.

But as we predicted when the Solyndra story first broke out, these studies have turned into a political SideShow. A year later, based on political Insider offers GOP legislators demonstrated, not their theory that decisions to offer that to clean energy loan guarantees. Still Theycontinue call to extend more documents and may have additional hearings, in the hope, the meme of "Nepotism" Solyndra until after the election.

Representative Jim Jordan (R - OH) which was most stump about the GOP's plan for Solyndra: press the manufactured scandal until November and then put it after the election.

E & E News reported Jordan's comments in March:

For all the talk about possible "Smoking Guns" may some wrongdoing on the part of the Obama management on Solyndra or other Department of energy loans, show that the House Republican confirmed yesterday that several GOP on the subject of probes are in some ways a game for votes on election day.

"Ultimately we it stop on election day, hopefully. " "And attention to these things will help the voters and the nature of the decision which I hope will make the country, which helps them as they assess who they are for in November votes."

That's exactly how it is to play. The politically manufactured outrage about Solyndra to an all-out campaign made - with tens of millions of dollars, issued season this election specifically for targeting Federal renewable energy investment. Mitt Romney has jumped on the bandwagon, with Solyndra as a key part of his campaign.

And here is the really amazing separate: while supporting tens of thousands of jobs, the credit guarantee program is expected that $2 billion less cost than Congress, according to an analysis by Herb Allison, John McCain's former National Chairman finance scheduled.

Meanwhile in the midst of the Solyndra saga we accept passing a $300 million aircraft errors, without batting an eye. No outrage. No sustained political campaign. It's just another day test our military toys.

Why? Because we often do not see programs such as "Failure" in the political arena. We would never use a failure as an excuse to leave investment in new technologies. Most politicians accept losses in the R & D of military spending, because after all, the long-term benefits are potentially so important for national defense and for the development of technologies for civilian use.

We should always aim to make programs as efficient and cost-effective as possible. But a few bankruptcy clean energy companies, representing a fraction of the cost of the programme is no excuse for the task of the Federal investment in clean energy - a strategically important sector which is one of the greatest drivers of the business in this century.

Expect Oh, not anyone publicly this admit. As the campaign unfolds season, political leaders are all too willing to practice the Solyndra standard.

This article appeared originally on the climate progress and was republished with permission.

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