Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Another Department of Energy Boondoggle Exposed

We can’t go a day without another green energy boondoggle being exposed. This time the spotlight falls upon the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado:

According to the Denver Post, the lab plans to eliminate between 100 and 150 of its 1,350 jobs. The Obama administration supported the NREL in 2009 with roughly $200 million in stimulus grants. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu visited Golden in May 2009 to promote the NREL as a beneficiary of those funds.

At the time, the Associated Press reported that the stimulus grants included $68 million to build a demonstration model of an energy-efficient office building; $19.2 million for solar, geothermal and fuel cell equipment; $10 million for testing and evaluation of wind technology; and $45 million to research and test drive-train systems for wind turbines.

NREL spokesman Bob Noun blames Congress for the organization’s failures. The Denver Post reports that he believes the gridlocked U.S. Congress forced the NREL to find $8 million in new budgetary savings

Well thanks for saving $8 million. If it hadn’t been for the dried up taxpayer teat, I’m sure these vultures would’ve squandered that money too. But I want to take note of the arrogance and the entitlement mentality of this guy. Since Obama and the Democrats took over Washington D.C. the NLRB’s budget went on steroids:

“Their funding for 2008 was $328 million,” Oliver said in a phone interview. “In 2010 it was $536.5 million. They’ve had a 64 percent increase in their funding during the Obama administration.”

Exactly how big is the Department of Energy’s Budget? I don’t believe I’ve ever witnessed one government agency waste so much money. It’s time to disband the DOE.



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