ENERGY
Besides Solyndra, Who Benefits From Government's Green Loan Program?—PICTURES
Updated: September 28, 2011 | 9:58 a.m.
September 28, 2011 | 9:00 a.m.
You've heard about Solyndra, the now-bankrupt solar-energy company that procured a $535 million loan guarantee from the federal government.
Solyndra has become a political lightning rod in recent weeks because of the highly charged debate in Congress over federal spending.
Conservatives point to the case as an example of what they call an overweening government being careless with the public's money. Democrats argue that loan guarantees help businesses create jobs, and that Solyndra's bankruptcy represents the risk inherent in any new business venture.
The loan guarantee program that backed up Solyndra, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, expires Friday. In all, the federal government guaranteed the loans of 32 companies, totaling nearly $40 billion.
The companies that have "closed-status" loan guarantees have successfully applied for a loan guarantee and are now receiving periodic checks from the government to fund their projects. If these companies default, it’s significant because they are using federal dollars.
The companies that have loan guarantees listed as “conditional commitment” have cleared a critical hurdle for getting a “conditional” loan but it means they are not using federal dollars, unless the status is closed by Friday.
Here's a closer look at the energy companies with loans the government backed or is considering backing; data comes from the Department of Energy.
1366 Technologies, Inc. is a solar-manufacturing company that has a closed-status guaranteed loan of $150 million. It has a location in Lexington, Mass. (1366tech.com)
Abound solar manufacturing has a closed-status loan guarantee for $400 million. It has plants in Longmont, Colo., and Tipton, Ind. (Abound.com)
Abengoa is a Spanish company with three divisions operating under loan guarantees, one apiece in Arizona, California, and Kansas. Together, the three divisions are guaranteed for about $2.8 billion. The status of the Arizona and California loan guarantees is closed; the Kansas loan is conditional. CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images (CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images)
AES Corporation is a battery-storage company with a plant in Johnson City, N.Y. Its loan guarantee is for $17.1 million, and its status is closed. (HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images)
Agua Caliente has a solar-generation plant in Yuma County, Ariz., and has a loan guarantee of $967 million. Agua Caliente's loan status is closed. (Aguacalientesolarproject.com)
Beacon Power Corporation is an energy-storage company. Its loan is guaranteed for $43 million for its Stephentown, N.Y., plant. Its loan status is closed. (BeaconPower.com)
BrightSource Energy is a solar-generation company with a guarantee of $1.6 billion. It's loan status is closed. BrightSource has a plant in Baker, Calif. (BrightSourceEnergy.com)
Caithness Shepherds Flat a closed-status partial guarantee for $1.3 billion. Its wind-generation plants are located in Gilliam and Morrow counties, Ore. (CaithnessEnergy.com)
Cogentrix of Alamosa has a closed-status loan guarantee of $90.6 million. Its Alamosa, Colo., plant specializes in solar power generation. (Cogentrix.com)
Granite Reliable has a wind-generation plant in Coos, N.H., and its closed-status loan is partially guaranteed for $135.8 million. (Noblepower.com)
Kahuku Wind Power has a closed-status loan guarantee of $117 million and is located in Kahuku Oahu, Hawaii. (KahukuWind.com)
FirstSolar Inc.(Antelope) is a solar-generation company with a guarantee of $680 million. Its plant is in Lancaster, Calif. Its status is conditional commitment. (FirstSolar.com)
FirstSolar Inc.(Desert Sunlight) is a solar-generation company with a partial guarantee of $1.88 billion. Its plant is in Riverside, Calif. Its status is conditional commitment. (FirstSolar.com)
FirstSolar Inc.(Topaz) is a solar-generation company with a partial guarantee of $1.93 billion. Its plant is in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. Its status is conditional commitment. (FirstSolar.com)
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures is a solar-generation company with a partial guarantee of $45.6 million. Its plant is located 25 miles outside of Las Vegas. Its status is conditional commitment. (FRV.com)
LS Power is a transmission company and has plants in Nevada. It has a closed-status loan guarantee of $343 million. (LSPower.com)
Mesquite Solar 1 is a solar-generation company with a guarantee of $398 million. Its plant is located in Maricopa County, Ariz. Its status is conditional commitment. (Departmentof Energy)
Nevada Geothermal Power Company in Humbolt County, Nev., has a closed-status, partially guaranteed loan of $98.5 million. (Nevadageothermal.com)
NextEra Energy Resources, LLC (Genesis Solar) has a closed-status, partially guaranteed loan of $852 million. Its solar-generation plant is in Riverside, Calif. (Department of Energy)
Nordic Windpower USA is a wind-manufacturing company with a partial guarantee of $852 million. Its plant is located in Riverside, Calif. Its status is conditional commitment. (NordicWindPower.com)
Ormat Nevada Inc. has a closed-status, partially guaranteed loan of $350 million. Its geothermal plants are located in Nevada. (Ormat.com)
POET, a biofuel company, has a $105 million closed-status loan guarantee for a plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. (Poet.com)
Prologis (Project Amp) is a solar-generation company with a partial guarantee of $1.4 billion, with locations in 28 states. Its status is conditional commitment. (Prologis.com)
Record Hill Wind has a closed-status loan guarantee for $102 million for its Roxbury, Maine, plant. (RecordHillWind.com)
Solar City Corporation is a solar-generation company with a partial guarantee of $344 million, with locations in 33 states on 124 military installations. Its status is conditional commitment. (Solarcity.com)
Solar Reserve is a solar-generation company with a guarantee of $737 million, with a plant in Nye County, Nev. Its status is conditional commitment. (Solarreserve.com)
SoloPower, a solar-manufacturing company, with a plant in Wilsonville, Ore., has a closed-status loan guarantee for $197 million. (SoloPower.com)
SunPower Corporation is a solar-generation company with a guarantee of $1.187 billion, with a plant in San Luis Obispo. Its status is conditional commitment. (us.sunpowercorp.com)
Solyndra, the solar-manufacturing firm whose bankruptcy ignited the controversy surrounding the loan program, had a closed-status $535 million loan guarantee for its plant in Fremont, Calif. (Solyndra.com)
US Geothermal has a closed-status loan guarantee for $97 million for its geothermal plant in Malheur County, Ore. (USGeothermal.com)
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