$1B solar plant was obsolete before it went online

by awbon 1/6/2020, 8:49 PMwith 18 comments

by rdiddlyon 1/7/2020, 2:57 AM

Kind of sad that the founder feels obligated to say it's a "tragedy of mismanagement" or a tragedy of anything... as if the story is any more dramatic or Shakespearean than the simple truth: Probably this method just isn't as efficient as others. And I mean, we had to actually try building this thing to find that out, so there's no shame in that.

by RobLachon 1/7/2020, 5:02 AM

Money well spent IMO.

by deogeoon 1/6/2020, 10:00 PM

Most of the article is behind a paywall, so I couldn't find out: More efficient solar panels have been made since, but has the price of electricity dropped so much that this plant is now not economically viable?

by s_Hoggon 1/7/2020, 12:49 AM

paywalled?

This seems interesting, though. Does the plant just become a stranded asset or is there still a way to get returns out of it?

by ycombonatoron 1/7/2020, 11:54 PM

Taxpayers remain on the hook for $737 million in loan guarantees. Another one that left taxpayers on the hook for $530 mm - Solyndra (1)

(1)https://www.factcheck.org/2011/10/obamas-solyndra-problem/