Energy loans went to cronies, suits say President Obama's administration played favorites on clean-energy loans while improperly blocking a carmaker and a related technology company from receiving millions in aid, according to two lawsuits filed Thursday. XP Vehicles and Limnia filed complaints against the Energy Department in two federal courts in Washington, seeking damages for what they say were abuses of the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program. After meeting with the agency in May 2009, XPV said, it discovered that two of its competitors - Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive - were receiving special assistance from agency staff with the loan application process.