The Republican leading the House investigation into the failed Solyndra solar-equipment company today predicted the demise of another Department of Energy-backed solar manufacturer.

At issue is Colorado-based Abound Solar, which announced yesterday that it would "temporarily" eliminate 180 jobs as part of a re-evaluation of its production plan. The company said the layoffs are necessary to help accelerate the production and launch of a next-generation high-efficiency solar module. Mass production of the new modules, it said, would take six to nine months.

But Florida Republican Cliff Stearns, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee's investigations subcommittee, said he is not so optimistic.

"To me, it looks like another Solyndra, because they are doing the same thing and the market has dropped so dramatically on solar panels, I don't see how they can make it," Stearns said.

Stearns said Abound has been on his "watch list" of troubled DOE loans. Asked to name the other DOE loans on that list, Stearns declined.

"There are several loan guarantees that we are looking at more closely because the companies appear to be experiencing financial difficulties," he said. "However, these companies aren't being disclosed because that could possibly add to their financial problems."

The only good news about the Abound situation, Stearns said, is that the company has drawn down only about $70 million of the $400 million approved through the DOE loan guarantee program.

Before it went under last fall, Solyndra burned through $527 million of its $535 million loan.

"I'm thinking about imploring [Energy Secretary Steven Chu] not to give out any money until the benchmarks are clear so we don't have another Solyndra," Stearns said.

Abound CEO Craig Witsoe acknowledged yesterday his company expects to be able to hire back all employees that it is now laying off.

"Current market conditions are challenging for all U.S. solar manufacturers, but the long-term winners will be manufacturers of the lowest cost per watt, most reliable systems," Witsoe said. "By focusing our resources to accelerate scale-up of our next-generation high-efficiency technology, we will sustainably lower total system costs for our customers, increase our own profitability, and grow U.S. jobs and energy security."

DOE spokesman Damien LaVera said the agency was notified of Abound's plan to phase out one of its solar modules and replace it with a more efficient one. DOE, he added, has been monitoring the situation.

But LaVera said the department is more optimistic than Stearns about Abound's prospects.

"Abound is an innovative domestic startup company with a history of bipartisan support," LaVera said. "While the challenges facing solar manufacturers have been widely reported, we continue to believe that supporting innovative companies like this is important to ensuring our nation has the ability to compete for the clean energy jobs of tomorrow."

Stearns is not the only Republican voice to jump on the Abound announcement. Earlier today, the Republican National Committee blasted out the Abound news and used it to hit the Obama administration for focusing on "pet projects" instead of historically high winter gasoline prices.

But Democratic operatives point out that Republicans may want to remember Abound has had plenty of support from high-profile members of their own party over the years.

When DOE approved Abound's loan guarantee in the fall of 2010, it was praised by Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar (R), whose home state was to be a manufacturing hub for the company.

"I am very pleased to learn that the Department of Energy has approved this loan guarantee which will advance Abound's plans to manufacture these innovative solar panels in Indiana," Lugar said then in a release.

And when DOE was considering the company's loan guarantee in 2009, Indiana Rep. Dan Burton (R) wrote a letter to Chu in support of the Abound project. Abound's Indiana operations were also supported by Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), whose administration offered the company nearly $12 million in performance-based tax credits.