No Taxpayer-Funded Bailout of Failed Solar Developer Sunlight General – Taxpayers Deserve Full Accounting of Public Funds

Today (Feb. 21), Freeholder Gail Phoebus and Assemblyman Parker Space released a partial accounting of tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds that were directed to Sunlight General, Power Partners MasTec, their lawyers and others. The accounting, marked “CONFIDENTIAL – SOLELY FOR USE IN ARBITRATION – SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER” but filed publicly in the U.S. District Court in Newark, shows that as of July 22, 2013, $41.6 million guaranteed by Sussex, Morris and Somerset county taxpayers were distributed in the following approximate amounts:

Sunlight General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    $1.8 million

Power Partners MasTec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    $36.5 million

Legal Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     $1.2 million

Engineering and Other Soft Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . .    $650,000

“We are concerned that millions of additional taxpayer dollars will be used to satisfy the $66 million arbitration award against Sunlight General in favor of Power Partners MasTec,” said Freeholder Phoebus. “Taxpayers should not be forced to pay millions of dollars to bail out a failed solar developer or pay exorbitant fees to attorneys. We demand an immediate, independent accounting to determine what happened to the tens of millions of dollars that were expended in connection with this project.”

Regarding the recent confidential court settlement discussions, Phoebus added, “Any settlement agreement must be conditioned upon complete transparency and holding accountable those who are responsible for getting us to this point. I strongly oppose any resolution that would allow this project to remain shrouded in secrecy or provide blanket immunity.”

Editor’s Note: Click here for accounting documents in this matter.

Paid for as a public service by Freeholder Gail Phoebus

No taxpayer funds were used in the preparation or distribution of this statement.

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