Schott Solar’s not alone: Lots of green energy blues in New Mexico

Capitol Report New Mexico - For a time there, it looked easy to be green in New Mexico. But in the past couple years, the record for companies touted as part of a renewable energy revolution in the state is looking pretty dismal.
In January of 2010, the administration of then-Gov. Bill Richardson touted a series of “green” industries coming to the state, pointing to at least three projects that “will create nearly 500 new green jobs” in the state. But a review shows that the optimitism of just a couple years ago has crashed into economic reality.
Here’s a look at what has happened with some of those projects:

Last month’s announcement that Schott Solar was shutting down its manufacturing plant in south Albuquerque was met with shock, then outrage.
The shock came from the 250 employees who will be laid off by the end of the summer. The outrage came from New Mexico taxpayers who learned one day later that Schott Solar isn’t legally required to return one dime from the $16 million in grants given to the company because the Richardson administration did not attach any “clawback” provisions to the money (something that the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County did when it gave Schott $1 million and $500,000, respectively).
“It’s infuriating,” Gov. Susana Martinez told KOB-TV of the money that was awarded through the Economic Development Department and approved as part of a larger capital outlay bill passed by the state legislature. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Schott Solar’s not alone: Lots of green energy blues in New Mexico