Business Failures Dog Terry McAuliffe's Political Ambitions

We can see why he wants back into government

Terry McAuliffe figured his business background would be an asset in his second run for governor, but he has found himself explaining why two commercial ventures he proposed in Virginia haven't lived up to the lofty expectations he set.

Questions about why his electric-car company, GreenTech Automotive, placed its plant in Mississippi rather than Virginia, are being followed by more, about a slowly developing local green-energy proposal here.

It's been at least three years since McAuliffe, a Democrat, began publicly speaking about a renewable-energy reuse project for the once-shuttered International Paper Co. plant in Franklin.

Since then, McAuliffe and his business associates say, the parties involved in the Franklin Pellets project have been engaged in talks with state and local economic development officials to get a deal done.