Solar Power Advocate Likely Violated State Ethics LawItaly? Hell, at least it wasn't China... Posted by DaveH at September 17, 2012 9:18 PM
One of the Northwest’s leading solar power advocates likely used his state position to help a company he was working for get an unfair tax designation. That’s the conclusion of a state ethics board investigation released Friday.
In Northwest solar power circles, Mike Nelson is a bit of a celebrity. Now, the Washington Ethics Board has concluded that just before Nelson formally retired from Washington State University, two years ago, he took a job with a company called Silicon Energy. Then, according to a preliminary ethics finding, Nelson used his state position to help the company earn a coveted “made in Washington” designation for its solar inverter system. Last April, Nelson told me he’d recused himself from the process.But the Ethics Board investigation found evidence to the contrary and could ultimately fine Nelson. He could not immediately be reached for comment. Silicon Energy later lost its “Made in Washington” certification when it was discovered that a key component was actually made in Italy.Austin Jenkins: “Did you play any role in the certification of this inverter as being made in Washington?”
Mike Nelson: “No.”
Austin Jenkins: “You completely recused yourself?”
Mike Nelson: “Ya.”
I do not like the tone of this Northwest Public Radio story. Use of the terms "likely" are inflammatory and totally fails to recognize the hollow claims of conflict of interests espoused by Sen. Jim Honeyford. It's too bad Mike will have to go to all the effort to defend his character --- Sen. Honeyford is all this politically motivated?
Posted by: David W Haskell at April 18, 2013 3:02 PM