Dem BFF Solyndra Leaves Toxic Mess, Literally and Politically

May 2, 2012

Former Obama Campaign Ad Star Solyndra Now Conspicuously Absent from Latest Ad as Solyndra Leaves Toxic Waste Behind at Former Facility

Just months after the Obama campaign used its first ad to defend the Democrats’ failed investment in now-bankrupt Solyndra, President Obama’s latest ad is now dialing back its defense of the company, conspicuously omitting Solyndra as an alleged stimulus success.
The Obama administration’s decision to scrap its defense of Solyndra comes as local news reports reveal that Solyndra abandoned toxic waste at one of its facilities.
The truth is that the Democrats’ none-of-the-above energy agenda has been disastrous for American energy, even for the “green” companies Democrats claimed they were trying to help. A recent report indicates that the stimulus backfired on green firms by “creating an excess supply of solar panels” and leading to the “outright shuttering of some of these firms.”

Just months after the Obama campaign used its first ad to defend the Democrats’ failed investment in now-bankrupt Solyndra, President Obama’s latest ad is now dialing back its defense of the company, conspicuously omitting Solyndra as an alleged stimulus success:

“OBAMA TEAM SCRUBS SOLYNDRA FROM LATEST CAMPAIGN AD”:(Daniel Halper, “Obama Team Scrubs Solyndra From Latest Campaign Ad,” The Weekly Standard, 5/1/2012)

RELEASED E-MAILS: WHITE HOUSE REGARDED SOLYNDRA AS “ONE OF THEIR PRIME POSTER CHILDREN”: (Philip Klein, “Emails Show Obama Donor Discussed Solyndra Loan with WH,” The Washington Examiner, 11/9/2011)

OBAMA’S RE-ELECT DEVOTED ITS FIRST AD TO DEFENDING SOLYNDRA:“Don’t think Chicago is deeply concerned about the brand damage that the Solyndra semi-scandal can wreak? Of all President Obama’s vulnerabilities (Isn’t this race supposed to be about the economy?), Team Obama chose to attack Solyndra right out of the gate, placing Obama, literally, in a sea of solar panels, amid quotes proclaiming him to be cleaner than clean — wallowing in the future.” (Glenn Thrush, “Decoding Obama’s First Ad: S-O-L-Y-N-D-R-A,” Politico, 1/19/2012)

OBAMA TREASURY “WAS GIVEN ONE DAY” TO REVIEW $535 MILLION SOLYNDRA LOAN BECAUSE ENERGY DEPT. WANTED TO ANNOUNCE LOAN: “The U.S. Treasury Department was given one day to review Solyndra LLC’s $535 million U.S. loan guarantee after learning the Energy Department was ready to announce the award publicly, according to a Treasury audit.” (Alison Vekshin, “Solyndra’s Loan Guarantee ‘Was Rushed,’ Treasury Audit Says,” Bloomberg, 4/4/2012)

$535 MILLION LOAN TO NOW-BANKRUPT SOLYNDRA “MOSTLY LOST TO TAXPAYERS”: (Jim Snyder and Brian Wingfield, “Solyndra $535 Million Loan Guarantee Mostly Lost to Taxpayers, Chu Tells Lawmakers,” Bloomberg, 11/17/2011)

The Obama administration’s decision to scrap its defense of Solyndra comes as local news reports reveal that Solyndra abandoned toxic waste at one of its facilities:

“SOLYNDRA NOT DEALING WITH TOXIC WASTE AT MILPITAS FACILITY”:(“Solyndra Not Dealing With Toxic Waste at Milpitas Facility,” CBS San Francisco, 4/28/2012)

“BUILDING LOCKED UP, WITH NO ONE AROUND”: (“Solyndra Not Dealing With Toxic Waste at Milpitas Facility,” CBS San Francisco, 4/28/2012)

“DISCARDED BUCKETS HALF FILLED WITH LIQUIDS AND BARRELS LABELED ‘HAZARDOUS WASTE’”: “At the back, a hazardous storage area was found. There were discarded buckets half filled with liquids and barrels labeled ‘hazardous waste.’” (“Solyndra Not Dealing With Toxic Waste at Milpitas Facility,” CBS San Francisco, 4/28/2012)

“MAY BE SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES” AT ABANDONED SOLYNDRA CAMPUS: “The building’s owner, a company called iStar, claimed in court documents, ‘there may be serious environmental, health and safety issues’ at the premises. According to the documents, they include, ‘numerous containers of solvents and chemicals…and processing equipment contaminated with lead.’” (“Solyndra Not Dealing With Toxic Waste at Milpitas Facility,” CBS San Francisco, 4/28/2012)

“ESSENTIALLY IT LOOKS LIKE THEY LEFT A PRETTY BIG MESS BEHIND”: “ ‘Essentially it looks like they left a pretty big mess behind,’ San Jose State Assistant Professor Dustin Mulvaney told CBS 5. Mulvaney has written a white paper (.pdf) on solar industry waste for the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.” (“Solyndra Not Dealing With Toxic Waste at Milpitas Facility,” CBS San Francisco, 4/28/2012)

The truth is that the Democrats’ none-of-the-above energy agenda has been disastrous for American energy, even for the “green” companies Democrats claimed they were trying to help. A recent report indicates that the stimulus backfired on green firms by “creating an excess supply of solar panels” and leading to the “outright shuttering of some of these firms”:

DOE SPENT TAXPAYER DOLLARS BACKING “MULTIPLE SOLAR” COMPANIES AND “ADDED TO A HEATED GLOBAL COMPETITION” THAT WAS “ALREADY CREATING AN EXCESSIVE SUPPLY OF SOLAR PANELS”:“DOE should have averted some of the risks it created in its portfolio by diversifying its investments across renewable energy technologies. DOE’s investment in multiple solar manufacturers added to a heated global competition that was already creating an excessive supply of solar panels. These manufacturers were forced to compete both against each other and other solar companies worldwide. As a result, the average selling price per watt for solar panels has continued its decline.” (“The Department of Energy’s Disastrous Management of Loan Guarantee Program,” U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 3/20/2012)

MANY SOLAR COMPANIES “CAN ONLY SURVIVE THROUGH CONTINUED PROVISION OF SUBSIDIES” PAID FOR BY TAXPAYERS: “Despite Solyndra’s fall, there remains excessive competition in the manufacturing of solar panels. Just this past month, both Abound Solar and First Solar cut solar panel production globally, reflecting this excessive supply and heated competition. While U.S. solar generation projects can take advantage of falling panel prices to offset a share of the impact of reduced power prices, it appears solar manufacturers that suffer both supply and demand shocks can only survive through continued provision of subsidies. Unfortunately for these manufacturers, there is growing evidence that the subsidies are drying up.” (“The Department of Energy’s Disastrous Management of Loan Guarantee Program,” U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 3/20/2012)

“RATINGS AGENCIES FULLY INFORMED THE DOE” OF RISKS OF “EXCESSIVE GLOBAL COMPETITION”: “The ratings agencies fully informed the DOE of their expectations for falling panel prices due to excessive global competition.” (“The Department of Energy’s Disastrous Management of Loan Guarantee Program,” U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 3/20/2012)

“APPARENT CURE TO THE OVERSUPPLY IS THE OUTRIGHT SHUTTERING OF A LARGE SHARE OF SOLAR PANEL MANUFACTURERS”—SUBSIDIZED BY TAXPAYERS: “Both Germany and the U.S. appear to be phasing out subsidies over the coming years, and this should eventually help reduce the excessive supply; however, it does so at the expense of the subsidized solar firms. In other words, the apparent cure to the oversupply is the outright shuttering of a large share of solar panel manufacturers worldwide.” (“The Department of Energy’s Disastrous Management of Loan Guarantee Program,” U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, 3/20/2012)

CRONY CAPITALISM? WASHINGTON POST AUDIT FINDS $3.9 BILLION IN TAXPAYER MONEY WENT TO “21 COMPANIES WITH CONNECTIONS TO FIVE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION STAFFERS AND ADVISERS”: “During the next three years, the department provided $2.4 billion in public funding to clean-energy companies in which Wagle’s former firm, Vantage Point Venture Partners, had invested, a Washington Post analysis found. Overall, the Post found that $3.9 billion in federal grants and financing flowed to 21 companies backed by firms with connections to five Obama administration staffers and advisers.” (Carol Leonnig and Joe Stephens, “Venture Capitalists Play Key Role in Obama’s Energy Department,” The Washington Post, 2/14/2012)