WH Keeps Moving on Clean Energy Loans

The Solyndra scandal hasn’t slowed the Obama administration’s effort to procure loan guarantees for clean energy companies, The Hill reports. Republicans have lambasted the White House for pushing for quick regulatory approval of a $535 million loan guarantee for now-failed Solyndra.

But the Energy Department may approve up to 15 renewable energy loan guarantees by the end of September, when a program created by the 2009 fiscal stimulus package ends. So the administration may be setting itself up for further attacks from the GOP.

So far, the DOE has approved 17 loan guarantees for a variety of solar, wind and geothermal projects. And it has granted 15 conditional approvals that must be finalized by the end of September to take effect.