Republican Sen. David Vitter criticized the Obama administration for its "reckless" taxpayer subsidies for renewable energy projects, including a $535 million loan to a now-bankrupt California solar panel manufacturer.

The Louisiana senator and his fellow Republicans have upheld Solyndra Inc. as an example of the federal government yielding to political pressures without conducting adequate oversight (E&ENews PM, Sept. 14).

But documents obtained by the Associated Press indicate Vitter was not always so critical of the loan program that benefited Solyndra. According to those records, Vitter sought Energy Department funds at least seven times since 2009 to benefit renewable energy projects in his own state.

Among Vitter's requests was a $245 million loan guarantee for Red River Environmental Products LLC, a company that makes pollution-reduction equipment for coal-fired power plants.

"I understand the importance of accessing the domestic energy resources we have, like coal, in an environmentally conscious manner," Vitter wrote in his request to Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Although the project received preliminary approval, it has yet to receive any money.

Following Solyndra's bankruptcy, Vitter and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin co-sponsored a bill that would require an inspector general investigation of any company that receives federal money for renewable energy and then goes bankrupt. The measure would also require a full audit of profits raised and jobs created by fund recipients since 2009.

"We can't afford any more crony capitalism where the federal government picks winners and losers and then leaves taxpayers on the hook when everything falls apart," Vitter said in a news release announcing the bill (Matthew Daly, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sept. 19). -- PK