The Inconvenient Truth About Solyndra

President Barack Obama (L) tours the Solyndra solar panel company with Executive VP of Engineering Ben Bierman, in Fremont, Calif., on May 26, 2010. In September 2011, Solyndra filed for Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code after shutting down operations and laying off 1,100 of its workers. Paul Chinn/Pool/Getty Images

Commentary

When Republicans in Washington talk about energy policy, one word often comes up: Solyndra. Before the recent elections, headlines blared about this defaulted government loan guarantee—“Republicans look for the next Solyndra.”