November 7, 2012 19:27
by J. Wylie Donald
"A Rare Solar Success Story" trumpets the American version of The Wall Street Journal today in an article about LDK Solar, a Chinese solar wafer manufacturer. We agree with "Solar" and "Story" but the rest of the headline does not match reality. (In fact, the Asian version is a little less over-the-top: "Despite Troubles, China's LDK Solar to Keep Humming.")
First, let's consider whether LDK Solar is rare. As described in the article it has a $500 million government loan guarantee. That sounds like something we remember about Solyndra LLC. Secon...