GOP lawmaker: US solar panel industry could fail

[TomCADem]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican House chairman blasted the solar industry Thursday, calling loans to solar panel manufacturers, such as ill-fated Solyndra Inc., a poor bet and predicting the solar panel industry itself could collapse in the United States.

An industry group immediately disputed the remark by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., citing a report showing that solar panel installations were up nearly 70 percent in the second quarter of 2011, compared with the same period last year.

Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said the $528 million loan to the now-bankrupt California solar energy company is just one example of the Obama administration's failed attempt to create green jobs.

Citing competition from China and other problems, Issa told reporters after the hearing: "It is reasonable to predict that we could have the collapse of the entire solar panel manufacturing business in America."


Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g3vdtAx6AJ5PaKdOK1TYXHlw5uWA?docId=3626582891af47109ebae4f7e14904ec

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Way to go GOP and Darrell Issa! Way to shill for the oil and coal industry and China at the same time. Last month he was going after fuel efficiency standards. Today the solar industry!

[dkf]

1. The government should have incentivized solar energy above all else.

This really pisses me off and is obviously a failure of leadership and one that will have a huge impact on our future.

Shame.

[liberal N proud]

2. If it doesn't use OIL, the GOP doesn't want anything to do with it.

[glinda]

6. exactly

[kristopher]

11. Not true - they are also very, very fond of uranium and plutonium nt

[liberal N proud]

16. We forgot coal too

Maybe the statement is, if it is a renewable resource that cannot be controlled by their rich constituents, they they will try to kill it.

[ck4829]

3. "Better to stick with oil. Heh heh heh." Slamming the competition of his donors doesn't sound legal

[PATRICK]

4. And the GOP by all

that is rational and just must fail. Well, should, anyway.

[think]

5. +1

[JDPriestly]

7. There goes the future of the US.

Solar, wind and water are the future for energy. Oil, coal, gas and nuclear will prove too dangerous and too expensive before long.

[stockholmer]

8. +100

[jwirr]

12. People like Issa had better wake up - if they and their supporters

continue to obstruct the change over to these sources they are going to be remembered. When shit hits the fan and those old energy sources run out and can no longer provide the lifestyle we have become accustomed to it will be them we blame. They will be the target of our anger. And if anyone thinks those of us who already know what is happening are angry wait until the idiots who believe the lies find out they have been used and abandoned to their own fate. You know the ones with the guns - the ones who support the old systems - the Kocksuckers - they are going to be furious. They are going to want blood.

[Muskypundit]

15. No, if the oil runs out they will be screaming for liberal blood

Because if we would JUST open up the national preserves in Alaska it would solve all of our oil problems for our lifetime. Hell, maybe FOREVER!! Right? Right?

That's what would happen. No one will ever admit their side is wrong.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. They'll find a way to blame liberals, poor people and minorities.

See: Housing collapse.

We even have 'em here: "people who bought more house than they can afford!!!!"

[droidamus2]

9. So what is Issa's point

That the United States isn't able to compete with countries like China so we should just give up? Of course it probably has a lot more to do with how much oil producers and sellers contribute to Issa and the Mepublican Party

[truthisfreedom]

10. The quote has been censored from the article now. It's title is different as well.

Looks like the rethug machinery is in full effect at google.

[Moosepoop]

28. No censorship.

The link in the OP goes to a different AP article, but the titled and quoted Boston Globe one is on the same page under the AP article, under "Related Articles."

Or, just use this link: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2011/09/22/gop_house_chair_us_solar_industry_could_collapse/

[Zorra]

13. "Citing competition from China"...well then

end the competition by adopting fair trade policies based on human rights and protection for American workers and businesses.

Problem solved.

[SoapBox]

14. Issa...THE poster child of CORRUPTION!

What a liar...crook...creep...vile...slimey...skeezy...

and on and on.

Come of LimpStreamMedia...expose this walking evil.

[n2doc]

17. Better to throw tens of BILLIONS at war contractors, eh Darrell?

It really is too bad people like Issa will never feel the consequences of their actions. Their children will also probably be too well off to be ruined by what is happening.

[Auggie]

19. WAKE UP, CA 49!

Dump this bozo

[Betty]

20. Translation: we repugs will do everything in our power to make sure

It fails, because we are total whores owned by big oil.

[divine_truine]

21. house gop corpor-bootlickers have to make outlandish preposterous comments to satisfy their masters

they're against free-energy technology, against science, against facts (while making up their own facts to continue misleading their constituents, gop or otherwise), planetary degradation deniers, tricksters & swindlers ALL OF 'EM!

ISSA, sit and spin baby! when you get to the elbow the rides over! your time as chair will once again be short-lived. you are toxic waste befouling the halls of congress (like all the rest of them who cower and take corporate money in exchange for your vote). please, do us all a favor and spontaneously combust and get it over with. you and most repuke gop bring shame to these united states of america. go F yourselves!

Warm regards,

A Proud American

[Hestia]

22. What is killing US solar panel manufacturers is China's commitment to be #1 in this industry

and they are pouring billions into the industry to bring prices down below the entire world and not allowing competition in this particular industry. You know, like what we do with cotton and other commodities. Bad on China's part is they are 1 cog to 1 machine, with no new innovation. There has been some in bringing more watts per panel, but they are too expensive to make here - supposedly.

I do wish a Democrat would stand up and state that Solyndra's application started in 2005, and it not was fast tracked through when Obama was inaugurated. Once again, another media fail by our illustrious party.

[julian09]

25. Oil subsidies should be diverted to renewable energy sector

Give the solar industry an increased demand, by supplying solar energy to schools, municipal buildings, military bases etc, while reducing energy costs to taxpayers. When they made that loan to SOLANDRA I remember thinking, Why give all that money to one solar co and not spread the opportunities. With oversupply we needed an end market to sell to, not more oversupply to kill prices. The news however of falling prices, is good for consumer and installers. The installers can't be outsourced, if they dump, we can impose tariff as we did with aluminum.

[KansDem]

23. Oh, but let's bail out failed capitalists in the banking and brokerage industries!

"Poor bet," Issa?

Fuck you and your selective memory!

[sakabatou]

24. That lawmaker must be soaked in oil money

[rtracey]

26. Sad

The sad part of this whole mess, is the fact that the US can always make the 500 million back, but its the fact that the repubs will now use this to jump all solar panel production industry and destroy it before it gets started. The Chinese will continue to be number 1 in this business, and again the US will miss the boat. I think the fact that this will be a big scandal for trying to jump start the economy, yet ENRON was well established, and lost in the upwards of 70 Billion of tax payers (investors) money, and that seems to be just crap in the history books, unless you are still needing social security to survive from their arrogance.

[aggiesal]

27. Issa backwards is ...

ASS I

Ironic!

[saras]

29. Solar is doing great. America isn't. American solar COULD crash, and the world wouldn't care

Nor would it slow their adoption of solar much - it's just another way America is getting left in the previous century.

If American labor is competing with Chinese labor to make solar panels, OF COURSE America will fail, until we get through a pretty deep cleaning of our entire industrial system.

And it's certainly true that if we continue to let the Republicans run things that the solar industry will fail. They will guarantee it, by any means necessary.