Reporting H.R. 2915 Out of Committee (Passed 26-17. View Roll Call Vote)
This bill repeals the 2009 Stimulus Act’s questionable $3.25 billion Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) loan authority, including the taxpayer bailout provision for failed renewable energy transmission projects. This will save the taxpayer form bearing the burden of another Solyndra like failure.

Holt Amendment – Exempt Colorado Highlands Wind Project (Failed 16-27. View Roll Call Vote)
This amendment would exempt the Colorado Highlands Wind Project, which could adversely impact a historic property in Colorado, from the repeal.

Lujan Amendment – Exempt Sun Zia Project (Failed 16-27. View Roll Call Vote)
This amendment would exempt the Sun Zia Project, which could interfere with operations at the Army’s White Sands Missile Range, from the repeal.

Lujan Amendment – Exempt Centennial West Project (Failed 16-27. View Roll Call Vote)
This amendment would exempt the Centennial West Project from the repeal.

Napolitano Amendment – Exempt the South Slope Pumped Storage Project (Failed 16-27. View Roll Call Vote)
This amendment would exempt the South Slope Pumped Storage Project, which local land owners oppose, from the repeal.

Napolitano Amendment – Exempt the Solar Express Project (Failed 17-26. View Roll Call Vote)
This amendment would exempt the Solar Express Project from the repeal.

Markey Amendment – Exempt the TransWest Express Transmission Project (Failed 17-26. View Roll Call Vote)
This amendment would exempt all phases of the TransWest Express Transmission Project from the repeal. WAPA has noted that: “Purchasers of Trans West Express Wind Energy, and therefore the line’s transmission capacity, may not materialize.” Congressman Markey’s amendment advocates for a transmission line that may not be marketable.

Grijalva Amendment – Exempt the Southline Project (Failed 17-26. View Roll Call Vote)
This amendment would exempt the Southline Project from the repeal.

Markey Amendment – Require Arbitrary and Unnecessary Job Numbers (Failed 17-26. View Roll Call Vote)
This amendment would strike the date the repeal would go into effect and require the WAPA Administrator to first confirm that the repeal would not result in more than 5,000 lost jobs. This is unnecessary since construction has yet to begin on any project affected by the bill, so no jobs would be impacted. The Markey amendment also ignores the inherent economic risks associated with WAPA making loans that don’t have to be repaid. This exposes the American taxpayer to more Solyndra like loan failures.

* For complete legislative action for the July 13, 2011 Full Committee Markup, click here.