California is far and away the largest solar energy producing state. California does not produce much oil.

And this gem: "[First Solar's] largest political donation, $50,000, went toward the defeat of a ballot measure that would have suspended environmental regulations intended to limit greenhouse-gas emissions"

So a full third of the contributions by First Solar were to defeat a proposition backed by oil companies. That's some delicious irony right there.

So Bloomberg's big bomb is that energy company's lobby for government business?

/shocked!
//shocked! I tell you!

Oh crap. Now we are going to go to war with the sun.

3 times more than oil companies?

That is impressive.

AirForceVet: Where's the lobbying by BP nationwide instead of just in California, as compared to First Solar nationwide? Likewise, what about the other Big Oil companies' lobbying costs?

Submitter nailed Bloomberg for its skewed article in his/her headline.

Yeah, not really.

They received almost 3.5 million in tax credits then cut a shiatload of jobs? Do any of you realize what in state tax credits are for? They are for companies to bring their businesses there and create jobs, that is the whole farking point, not to make the world green only to earn the state money.

steamingpile: AirForceVet: Where's the lobbying by BP nationwide instead of just in California, as compared to First Solar nationwide? Likewise, what about the other Big Oil companies' lobbying costs?

Submitter nailed Bloomberg for its skewed article in his/her headline.

Yeah, not really.

They received almost 3.5 million in tax credits then cut a shiatload of jobs? Do any of you realize what in state tax credits are for? They are for companies to bring their businesses there and create jobs, that is the whole farking point, not to make the world green only to earn the state money.

Except that (a) First Solar's tax credits were/are Federal, not State; (b) most of those tax credits were for projects owned by banks/insurance companies, so the tax credits didn't really go to First Solar anyway; and (c) who says the purpose of tax credits is to create local jobs? That may be true for SOME tax credits, but not for most of them.

Tax credits (and deductions, and other tax bennies, and other gov't subsidies) are there to encourage certain behaviors, that's all. How many jobs do you think are created with the mortgage deduction, or the tuition tax credit - or the charitable donation deduction?

In this case, the purpose of the tax credit is to encourage investment in renewable energy - and it is working pretty well. So actually yes - the farking point is in fact to make the world green.

It's impossible to have something "three times" something else without some form of unit of measure (like meters) or benchmark (like 100% in the case of percentages).

So, what's that for corruption, subby? Millicongresses?

Company whose whole business model absolutely depends on public subsidy lobbies heavily to obtain (and retain) that subsidy?

I am shocked like the DC coming from a solar panel.

/also, subby - lobbying != "corruption". An ad campaign is not a bribe.
//you may now return to your hysteria already in progress.

vaderstg: Company whose whole business model absolutely depends on public subsidy lobbies heavily to obtain (and retain) that subsidy?

Actually, in First Solar's case, their whole business model depends on high prices for silicon.