The House Energy and Commerce Committee officially served the White House and the Office of the Vice President last night with subpoenas seeking additional documents relating to the panel's Solyndra investigation.

The two offices have until Nov. 10 to provide the committee with a schedule for providing all requested documents.

SPECIAL REPORT

Solyndra, a solar manufacturer that was given a $535 million loan guarantee and touted by the White House as a model for the clean energy economy, has filed for bankruptcy. E&E examines how it got there and what it means. Click here to read the report.

The subpoena vote was blasted yesterday by Democrats who described it as an unprecedented and unnecessary step given cooperation by the White House on the probe of the failed solar energy company (Greenwire, Nov. 3).

But Republicans say the White House is interested in stalling tactics and that the only real cooperation they have had from the Obama administration has come after an earlier subpoena was issued to the Office of Management and Budget.

Yesterday's subpoena asks for all documents on communications with investors regarding the loan, the financial condition of Solyndra and the loan's restructuring.

"This is an effort to get crucial documents to understand the role of the White House in the loan guarantee," said Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) in a statement today. "I believe that the President owes it to the American people to explain in detail what happened to their tax money. In addition, as we work to promote job creation in our troubled economy, the failure of Solyndra offers important lessons to be learned."