The Department of Energy (DOE) canceled a Biden administration multi-billion-dollar partial loan guarantee to a green energy company facing financial instability and a history of alleged misconduct, according to Reuters. [emphasis, links added]
In 2023, the Biden DOE announced a $3 billion partial loan guarantee to Sunnova Energy, a Houston-based company that provides solar panels and EV chargers, in furtherance of its broader green energy agenda.
The Trump DOE canceled the loan guarantee on Wednesday, dealing a blow to Sunnova, which has been accused in the past of ripping off elderly customers, as it navigates financial struggles, according to Reuters.
At the time it was announced, the Biden DOE guarantee was considered the largest loan commitment ever made by the government to a solar company.
Sunnova has drawn scrutiny for allegedly exploiting dementia patients by signing them up for expensive, long-term solar panel contracts, The Washington Free Beacon reported in November 2023.
During the Biden administration’s lame duck period, the DOE’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) — the office that made the deal with Sunnova — extended tens of billions of dollars in new loans.
Critics have questioned the efficacy of LPO, arguing that the office props up questionable businesses that might not otherwise survive in a competitive market at taxpayers’ expense.
Furthermore, Jigar Shah, the LPO’s director under the Biden administration, has been criticized for providing taxpayer-funded loans to companies linked to a trade association he helped establish before working for the federal government.
In March, Sunnova expressed “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue operations, citing inadequate cash flow and high interest rates.
The company had accessed about $371 million of the guaranteed funds before the DOE withdrew the guarantee, according to Bloomberg News.
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