The solar industry in Washington state is working hand-in-glove with government to steer taxpayer funding to their pockets and shut down any criticism.

And a board member of the Washington State Solar Industry Association was happy to brag about that fact in an email to a reporter, while warning them not to “associate with” people like me who point out the many flaws of solar power.

At issue is a new solar-powered, electric vehicle charging station being installed by the City of Tumwater. The cost of the charging station is about $100,000. Additional funding will come from another government program – the low-carbon fuel standard – which could be used to subsidize the charger. Testifying before the city council, staff argued that the station could be used by EVs, electric bikes, or even electric wheelchairs.

Asked by a reporter to comment on the program, I noted several flaws. My basic point was that solar panels of any size are extremely inefficient in Western Washington, meaning they would generate only a small amount of power at high cost. As a result, cutting CO2 emissions in this way is extremely ineffective.

Not surprisingly, people who make their living selling solar panels weren’t happy with the fact that I pointed this out.

When the reporter asked the City of Tumwater to respond to my criticisms, the city staff turned to a board member of the Washington State Solar Energy Industry Association. Rather than address the issues, however, he had a stark warning for the reporter.

In an email obtained through public disclosure, Mason Rolph wrote, “I would encourage you to reconsider publishing any statements from the Washington Policy Center or associating with them at all.” He wrote that our reputation with the solar industry is “littered with red flags.” I can imagine.

I can certainly understand why they don’t like what I am saying. They profit by pocketing money from the taxpayers. They don’t even attempt to hide their cozy relationship with government, writing in the email that he is happy to talk to the reporter about how the city staff funneling money to his industry is “doing an amazing job.”

Government funnels money to a favored industry and the industry acts as the public relations arm of government agencies and politicians.

By the tone of the email, he also expects the media to do the same, assuming that reporters would decide someone the industry doesn’t approve of isn’t worth talking to.

The inconvenient reality that Western Washington state is literally the worst place in the country (outside Alaska) for solar is bad for business. For many politicians and government staff, that mathematical reality doesn’t enter into the equation. Government staff and politicians are rewarded with the feeling that they are helping save the planet, even if they aren’t. The solar industry walks away with a nice payday and keeps the taxpayer subsidies flowing. Taxpayers, on the other hand, are left footing the bill for an expensive charging station that, at best, will be used by those wealthy enough to afford an electric vehicle.

It is one more example of how brazen so-called “green” industries are at demanding taxpayer subsidies. Would any other industry tell reporters that they will only talk as long as they refuse to associate with anyone critical of them? Would any other industry tell reporters how much they appreciate the government staff that deliver taxpayer money to them? Imagine Boeing telling a reporter that they will do an interview only if the reporter doesn’t talk to whistleblowers.

And yet, board members of the solar industry in Washington are comfortable saying exactly that.

To be sure, it hasn’t seemed to stop them from receiving huge amounts of taxpayer dollars for projects that do almost nothing to reduce CO2 emissions. No wonder they are in the mood to party.