Obama throws stimulus money out the window

One of Obama's favorite provisions in the stimulus bill is a $1,500 tax credit for homeowners who install energy-efficient windows. But the requirements for this credit are tight. Homeowners must choose windows with a "30/30 standard," which relates to how much solar energy the windows allow to escape. Today, The Hill reported that window manufacturers are stepping forward to oppose the 30/30 standard in the stimulus, claiming very few companies are capable of making such windows.

On Thursday, the Window & Door Manufacturers Association said the government was picking “winners and losers in our industry among manufacturers that had the technology to produce 30/30 products and those that could not.”

The association also disputes the contention that the 30/30 standard will necessarily lead to greater energy savings. Most skylights can’t comply.

So why would the Obama Administration promote windows that most companies can't even manufacture? The answer: kickbacks. One of the few companies specializing in 30/30 windows is Serious Materials. Obama is a huge fan of Serious, having held a 22-minute press conference praising the company and opened a national address by mentioning its efforts. Joe Biden has called Serious the "poster child" for a green recovery. Serious Materials CEO Kevin Surace has said he's very close to both the White House as well as the Department of Energy. He isn't kidding. Robin Roy, a top executive at Serious, just happens to be married to Assistant Secretary of Energy Cathy Zoi, who is responsible for overseeing the dispensation of the green windows tax credit.

Surace happens to be a huge fan of the 30/30 requirement, which he has called "just the starting point." Thanks to Obama's promotion and stimulus, business for Serious Materials has exploded.