Another example of stimulus outsourcing is Japanese wind energy firm Eurus Energy, whose U.S. subsidiary, Eurus Energy America, received $91 million in stimulus funds to build a wind farm in Texas, according to a 2010 report from American University. That wind farm reportedly was built with wind turbines manufactured by another Japanese company – Mitsubishi.
“Eurus Energy America, the U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese firm, received $91 million in stimulus money for its Bull Creek wind farm in Texas. The farm consists of 180 Mitsubishi turbines,” the American University report said.
Eurus told American University that the wind farm was actually built by British firm RES Americas and is now being run by EnXco, an American subsidiary of the French energy firm EDF Energies Nouvelles.
“Illustrating the often international nature of deals in the U.S. wind industry, a company executive told the Watchdog Institute that his company used RES Americas, a British firm, as the general contractor to build its facility. Eurus is now employing EnXco, a subsidiary of French renewable energy firm EDF Energies Nouvelles, to operate the farm,” the report said.
Another example of the Obama administration funding foreign companies is a $337 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy’s green energy lending program.
That loan went to California energy firm Sempra Energy for a solar power array in Arizona. However, according to a Feb. 4, 2011 New York Times report, Sempra Energy bought its solar panels from the Chinese firm Suntech.
The project, known as Mesquite Solar 1, reportedly used 800,000 of the Chinese solar panels.
Perhaps the best-known example of Obama administration funding of foreign companies is its $500-million loan guarantee to Finnish automaker Fisker Automotive. That loan, part of the Energy Department’s electric vehicle lending program, was made to help Fisker establish a U.S. manufacturing presence.
However, the company never established an American factory, choosing instead to shutter its U.S. operations and continue building cars in Finland
