▁with ▁a ▁crime . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Congress ▁held ▁hear ings ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy ' s ▁m ish and ling ▁of ▁his ▁case . ▁Republican ▁sen ators ▁thought ▁that ▁an ▁independent ▁ag ency ▁should ▁be ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁and ▁security ▁issues , ▁not ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy . ▁All ▁but ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 9 ▁charges ▁against ▁Lee ▁were ▁eventually ▁dropped ▁because ▁the ▁investigation ▁finally ▁proved ▁that ▁the ▁plans ▁the ▁Chinese ▁obtained ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁come ▁from ▁Lee . ▁Lee ▁file d ▁suit ▁and ▁won ▁a ▁$ 1 . 6 ▁million ▁settlement ▁against ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁and ▁news ▁ag encies . ▁ ▁Lo an ▁guarantee ▁program ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁American ▁Sol ar ▁Challenge ▁was ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁Ren ew able ▁Energy ▁Labor atory . ▁After ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁race , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Energy ▁dis cont in ued ▁its ▁spons or ship . ▁ ▁Title ▁XVII ▁of ▁Energy ▁Policy ▁Act ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁author izes ▁the ▁DO E ▁to ▁issue ▁loan ▁guarante es ▁to ▁el ig ible ▁projects ▁that ▁" av oid , ▁reduce , ▁or ▁se quest er ▁air ▁poll ut ants ▁or ▁anth rop ogen ic ▁em issions ▁of ▁green house ▁g ases " ▁and ▁" emp loy ▁new ▁or ▁significantly ▁improved ▁techn ologies ▁as ▁compared ▁to ▁techn ologies ▁in ▁service ▁in ▁the