Free Republic

A California solar-panel manufacturer once touted by President Barack Obama as a beneficiary of his administration's economic policies — as well as a half-billion-dollar federal loan — is laying off 1,100 workers and filing for bankruptcy. Solyndra LLC of Fremont, Calif., had become the poster child for government investment in green technology. The president visited the company in May 2010 and noted that Solyndra expected to hire 1,000 workers to manufacture solar panels. Other state and federal officials such as former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Energy Secretary Steven Chu also visited the company's facilities. But hard times have hit the...

At a California Senate oversight hearing yesterday called by Senator Pavley, a joint author of the state's landmark Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), Air Resources Board Chairman Nichols reaffirmed her agency's commitment to proceed with implementation of a robust package of clean energy policies backed up with a cap-and-trade program to cut the state's emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020. Chairman Nichols also announced a major new addition to the AB 32 package - CARB will require that major industrial facilities in California, such as refineries and cement plants, implement cost-effective reduction measures that will provide significant greenhouse...

A subsidiary of Garda World Security Corp. will not only bring 100 jobs to Boca Raton, but move its U.S. headquarters there, too, Gov. Rick Scott announced Wednesday. The Business Journal previously reported that the Montreal-based company had applied for $1 million in state and local incentives for its Garda Cash Logistics to create 100 jobs in Boca Raton by 2013. Scott said the average pay for those jobs would be $65,000. The 45,000-employee Garda World Security (TOR: GW) is a global provider of security solutions, cash logistics and global risk consulting. Scott's announcement hit on one of his major...