Solar, Solyndra | featured news

Republicans probing how a now-bankrupt solar panel company received a $535 million federal loan guarantee excoriated Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Thursday for his decisions on Solyndra at a hearing packed with media and spectators.

The White House counsel refused Friday to comply with a subpoena issued by a House panel regarding the failed solar energy company Solyndra, claiming the initiative "was driven more by partisan politics than a legitimate effort to conduct a responsible investigation."

A major investor in Solyndra LLC was instrumental in helping the troubled solar-power firm compete for a potentially lucrative U.S. Navy deal, a previously unreported connection that will likely fuel controversy surrounding the company.

The Obama administration engaged in a 'pattern' of approving loans that were not qualified to receive taxpayer money, says one Republican House chairman, calling the development as disturbing as the loss of millions of dollars given to bankrupt solar power company Solyndra.

The Energy Department plans to give $156 million in grants on Thursday after it has been under scrutiny for arranging $528 million in loans to Solyndra, a company that went bankrupt.