Federal renewable energy adviser told not to deal with renewable projects developer because of "romantic relationship"

The chief architect of the Obama administration's renewable energy policy has been instructed to refrain from any dealings with the country's largest renewable energy company because of a romantic relationship with the firm's Washington lobbyist. Steve Black, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's alternative energy adviser, discussed his relationship with a NextEra Energy lobbyist with officials in the department's ethics office last fall, an Interior spokesman said. To avoid a conflict of interest, Black was later told to recuse himself from matters involving NextEra, which has more than a dozen wind and solar power projects in California. Black, 51, has been Interior's point man on renewable issues and is closely involved with the department's push to expand green energy projects on public land. Renewable energy is the singular environmental issue for both the Obama administration and Salazar, who has repeatedly traveled in the West to promote wind and solar projects. Black, who was legislative counsel for Salazar when he was a Colorado senator, represents Interior on a handful of committees and working groups trying to come up with a road map for renewable energy. The department is in the midst of large-scale planning efforts that affect every renewable energy company that does business on federal land...more

Looks like we're not the only ones he's screwin'.