White House Email: 'Coming Storm' Over Solyndra 'And Other Inside DOE Deals' 

From ABC News 11-11-11

New internal White House emails reveal that a scathing critique of Energy Secretary Steven Chu by a former Obama political advisor was widely circulated at the highest levels of the administration.

The Feb. 25, 2011 email that sparked the deliberations landed on West Wing desks just as the solar energy firm Solyndra was starting to show outward signs of financial trouble. It was sent by Dan Carol, a former Obama campaign staffer and clean energy advocate who was described by Obama's then-Chief of Staff Pete Rouse as someone whose views "reflect the President's general philosophy on energy policy."

Carol's four-page proposal to restructure the Energy Department included the blunt recommendation that Chu be fired, and that his leadership team also be replaced, calling it time for "serious changes, even if they are uncomfortable to make."

"I would respectfully suggest that the president be strongly encouraged to make major leadership changes as soon as possible," Carol wrote.

Carol also predicted the political fallout that would result from what he saw as inevitable failures of the Energy Department's now-embattled loan guarantee program. He made the dire predictions when advising that Obama replace Chu with someone who was not "too associated … with [the] Silicon Valley business elite."

read … ABC News

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Commitment to National and State Energy Goals Shared at Roundtable with U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, and Governor Neil Abercrombie

News Release from www.Hawaii.gov/gov 11-12-11

HONOLULU, HAWAII – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Energy Steven Chu, U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye and Governor Neil Abercrombie this afternoon led a roundtable discussion to further the clean energy initiatives between the State of Hawai'i and the federal government.

"The Obama Administration and Governor Abercrombie share a commitment to promoting the use of locally-produced, clean renewable energy,” said Secretary Chu. “As we compete in the global marketplace for the clean energy jobs of tomorrow, we need to continue to invest in the technologies that will create jobs here in Hawai'i and ensure American companies remain competitive. I look forward to continuing and growing the strong partnership between the Department of Energy and the State of Hawai'i.”

About two dozen government and private leaders working on achieving Hawai'i’s clean energy goals participated in the roundtable discussion. Subjects ranged from operationalizing of renewable energy, to continued smart grid advancements, biofuel development, and the necessity of an inter-island cable.

“Hawai'i is a natural alternative energy test-bed due in large part to the many partnerships we enjoy,” said Senator Inouye. “The U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense are active and valued partners to assist in the rapid deployment of renewable energy technology to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. We must have the political will to stay the course not just for us but for the next generation. It is time to take our test-bed to the next level.”

Governor Abercrombie added, “The partnership we have with the federal government is a key ingredient in reaching the goals we have as an island state. In reaching these goals, we are not only protecting ourselves from the volatility of outside fossil fuel markets, but are setting standards for the rest of country and the world in the application of clean energy technologies.”

The Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative is a partnership between the state and the U.S. Department of Energy to implement actions to reduce Hawai'i’s dependence of fossil fuel oil by 70 percent by 2030.

Secretary Chu is in Honolulu attending the APEC leaders’ week conference. He is charged with helping implement President Obama’s ambitious agenda to invest in clean energy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, address the global climate crisis and create millions of new jobs. He is a distinguished scientist and the co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics (1997). Prior to his appointment, Dr. Chu served as the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Today’s roundtable discussion fostered a stronger relationship in moving Hawai'i closer to reaching its renewable energy goals. In closing, Secretary Chu expressed great interest in the State’s current energy initiatives stating, “This is very exciting. Hawai'i is the perfect test-bed for us.”

Participants included:

• Steven Chu, Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
• Daniel K. Inouye, U.S. Senator
• Neil Abercrombie, Governor
• Brian Schatz, Lt. Governor
• Jennifer Sabas - U.S. Senator Inouye Chief of Staff
• George Ka'iliwai - PACOM Director of Resources & Assessment Directorate
• Richard Carlin - Office of Naval Research, Head, Sea Warfare; Weapons Department
• Ross Roley - Senior Military Analyst, PACOM Energy Office,
• Joelle Simonpietre - CMDR, PACOM J81, Innovation, Experimentation Energy Team
• Steve Lindenberg - DOE, Senior Advisor, Renewable Energy
• Jim Spaeth - DOE, Senior Advisor, Pacific Region Office
• Richard Lim - Director, Hawai'i Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism
• Tom Quinn - Director, Hawai'i Center for Advance Transportation Technologies
• Mark Glick - Administrator, Hawai'i State Energy Office
• MRC Greenwood - University of Hawai'i (UH), President
• Jim Gaines - UH, Vice President for Research
• Rick Rocheleau - UH, Director, Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute
• Don Thomas - UH, Director, Center for Study of Active Volcanoes
• Andy Hashimoto - UH, Former Dean, College of Tropical Agriculture
• Hermina Morita - Hawai'i Public Utilities Commission, Chair
• Mike Champley - Hawai'i Public Utilities Commission, Commissioner
• Robbie Alm - Hawaiian Electric Company, Executive Vice President
• Colton Ching - Hawaiian Electric Company, Vice President, System Operation & Planning
• Edward Reinhardt - Maui Electric Company, President
• Joel Matsunaga - Hawai'i BioEnergy, Chief Operating Officer
• Chris Benjamin - Hawaiian Commercial Sugar Co. (Maui)
• Darren Kimura - Sopogy, President & Chief Operating Officer
• Dan O'Connell - HNU Photonics, Chief Operating Officer
• Jim Rekoske - Honeywell, Vice President of Renewable Energy
• Barry Mizuno - Puna Geothermal Venture, Consultant
• Maurice Kaya - Hawai'i Renewable Energy Development Venture, Project Director