House GOP renews its press for energy loan-guarantee documents

House Republicans again pressed the Energy Department for additional documents related to its loan guarantee program Thursday after the department failed to respond to its initial request.

Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s investigative panel wrote to Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Sept. 20 requesting documents related to every project that received funding under its Section 1705 program.

{mosads}The lawmakers wrote a second letter to Chu on Thursday reiterating their request, noting that the department had not yet responded to its first request.

“We are writing today to follow up on our letter dated September 20, 2011, requesting documents related to the financial condition of each Section 1705 loan guarantee that had been awarded and the remaining conditional commitments, twelve of which were closed prior to the Sept. 30, 2011, stimulus deadline,” the letter says. “We have not received a response to this request.”

The 1705 program — through which Solyndra received its $535 million loan guarantee — provides financing for renewable, advanced biofuels and electric transmission projects. The program ended Sept. 30.

Republicans on the committee have launched a wide-ranging investigation into Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy in early September and laid off 1,100 workers. They have received tens of thousands of documents from the administration related to the loan guarantee program.

Based on the documents, Republicans have alleged that the administration mishandled the program. The White House has strongly denied those allegations.

Thursday’s letter represents the latest request for documents in the investigation, which has widened to include the Energy Department’s entire renewable loan guarantee program.

An Energy Department spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.