(ECO:nomics) California Gov.: Solyndra Failure is Part of Learning Process

◼ California Gov. Jerry Brown said the September bankruptcy of California solar-panel maker Solyndra LLC provided a learning opportunity and will help companies do better. - Cassandra Sweet/Wall St. Journal

“I thought failure was part of the process,” Mr. Brown said, speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s ECO:nomics conference in Santa Barbara, Calif. “Hell, I was out of office for how many decades? You gotta try things.”

Mr. Brown pointed out that the collapse of Fremont, Calif.-based Solyndra was a sign that solar-power prices were falling, which benefits California, the largest solar-power market in the U.S.

“Solyndra thought the market was one price, and the price was lower; Hallelujah! California installed 500 megawatts of solar last year and we’ll do more this year.”

Mr. Brown said there’s a lot to learn from the Solyndra debacle, including how politics influences energy. But he notes that Solyndra’s failure—which left U.S. taxpayers on the hook for more than $500 million—was “chump change” compared to the recent mortgage meltdown and financial crisis.