Looks Like Another $400 Million Flushed Down the Toilet on Abound Solar

ABC - Another recipient of Energy Department loan funds has run into financial trouble. Colorado-based Abound Solar announced this week it has been forced to lay off 180 of its 400 workers as it tries to retool to produce a more efficient type of solar panel in order to keep a technological edge on Chinese manufacturers who are flooding the market with less expensive models. Abound received approval in 2010 for a $400 million government loan. "As you know the solar market has been extremely difficult for all manufacturers," said Craig Witsoe, the CEO of Abound Solar, in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday. "To continue to make the panel we make today, to have to sell it below cost, it's a tough environment to operate in." Read full story here: News New Mexico




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Amazingly, Martin Heinrich Admits That He Opposes the Keystone XL Pipeline

His own words demonstrate just how "in over his head" Martin Heinrich is as an elected official. With zero command of the pertinent facts regarding who owns and controls oil reserves around the world, or just how critical intelligent energy policy is to the U.S. economy, Heinrich simply wanders from photo op to photo op around the state parroting the talking points of fellow economic illiterates in the radical environmental movement.
Martin Heinrich
Even as gas prices skyrocket Heinrich doesn't seem to get it. Late this week he admitted to Rob Nikolewski of Capitol Report New Mexico that he was against the economic development and supply relief the Keystone XL Pipeline could bring to the U.S. “We’ve got to stop being dependent on Exxon Mobil and the big oil companies to determine the health of our economy,” Heinrich chirped.
While Exxon Mobil might be a convenient target for Heinrich and somewhat easy to demonize, if you combine the total reserves of Exxon with those of Chevron and Conoco you will find they control less than 7% of worldwide oil reserves. If Heinrich cared to become educated instead keeping domestic oil companies handy for disparagement, he would quickly discover that “Big Oil” isn’t Exxon Mobil, Chevron, or Conoco. Big Oil is Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia. Big Oil is OPEC and our domestic oil companies have no more control over suppies coming out of Russia, Iran, or Saudi Arabia than Martin Heinrich does.
Anyone listening to Congressman Martin Heinrich should quickly realize he either chooses to remain ignorant about energy realities or he is intentionally misleading New Mexicans. Either way he is not leadership timber. Astonishingly, in the wake of the bankruptcy of Solyndra, which cost taxpayers more than $525 million and the announcement earlier this week that yet another green energy government loan recipient, Abound Solar, will lay off half its workforce, Heinrich continues to support the idea of throwing money at these subsidy dependent alternative energy losers as a means of creating jobs in America or in New Mexico. In the meantime he opposes policies that would hold gas prices in check.
Of course Heinrich is not his party’s nominee yet. He must get past State Auditor Hector Balderas in the Democratic primary. But if Heinrich actually prevails over Balderas, the choice for New Mexico in November is a no-brainer. Whether it is Heather Wilson or Greg Sowards, New Mexicans need to send Heinrich packing before he can cast one more boneheaded vote that squanders our dwindling resources on hair-brained schemes like Solyndra and Abound Solar. Enough already of taxpayer losses, future layoffs, and politicians who cannot grasp the basic essence of economic futility.

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