U.S.-backed electric car maker Fisker misses early goals, delays production
Government-backed electric car company Fisker Automotive is delaying plans for production after missing its early manufacturing goals. According to a report by the Washington Post, the delays are being blamed on regulatory issues, and the company is brushing off any comparisons to Solyndra, another clean-energy company that received half a million in government loans, which filed for bankruptcy in September.
Fisker has already received $529 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy to … Continue Reading
John Doerr: Cleantech will suffer unless U.S. can “put partisan bulls–t behind us”
A wave of anti-science sentiment in the U.S. government — through the lens of ignoring global warming and a reliance on fossil fuels — could hamper innovation in the clean technology space, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner John Doerr (pictured right) said.
“We have to put this partisan bulls–t behind us,” Doerr said at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2011 conference on Wednesday. “We need new leadership and public pressure, it will not happen with business … Continue Reading
Plunging solar panel prices claim first victim: Solyndra files for bankruptcy
A glut of photovoltaic solar panels on the market has caused solar cell manufacturer Solyndra to go under. The company filed for bankruptcy and laid off 1,100 workers this morning.
The company makes cylindrical solar rooftop systems and is a now-controversial recipient of a $535 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy — one of the first of its kind as part of the U.S. government’s federal stimulus program. After raising $1 billion, the … Continue Reading
