The heads of some California solar companies spoke out about the recent Solyndra scandal and its effect on the industry. They claimed the solar industry is going strong - despite the failure of the company that received a $25 million state tax break and hundreds of millions in federal government-backed loans.
Arno Harris is the CEO of Recurrent Energy of San Francisco. He downplayed reports of heavy criticism by Republican lawmakers and said the technology still has strong bipartisan support.
“My sense is that we’re seeing some of the effects of an election year cycle and the hay that can be made, and that it may be, certainly my experiences is that it is less substantial when you actually talk to the individual people involved. And I think as a result the impact on long term policy I hope will be less dramatic,” said Harris.
Treasurer Bill Lockyer has asked state officials to suspend sales tax exemptions on equipment purchased by alternative energy companies so such breaks aren’t given to companies headed for a fall.
