DOE cancels $7.6B in clean energy awards in states that voted against Trump

The U.S. Division of Vitality on Thursday introduced it has terminated $7.56 billion in financial awards to 223 clear vitality tasks — all in states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris within the 2024 election.

“Following an intensive, individualized monetary evaluate, DOE decided that these tasks didn’t adequately advance the nation’s vitality wants, weren’t economically viable, and wouldn’t present a constructive return on funding of taxpayer {dollars},” the company stated in a press release. 

A listing of impacted tasks was not instantly obtainable. DOE stated award recipients have 30 days to enchantment a termination determination and “a number of the tasks included on this announcement have already begun that course of.”

In complete, DOE stated it terminated 321 monetary awards issued by the Workplaces of Clear Vitality Demonstrations, Vitality Effectivity and Renewable Vitality, Grid Deployment, Manufacturing and Vitality Provide Chains, Superior Analysis Initiatives Company-Vitality and Fossil Vitality.

Vitality Secretary Chris Wright stated DOE has been working to evaluate “billions of {dollars} in monetary awards, many rushed by means of within the ultimate months of the Biden administration with insufficient documentation by any affordable enterprise customary.”

Of the monetary awards terminated, DOE stated 26% have been awarded between Election Day and Inauguration Day. “These awards alone have been valued at over $3.1 billion,” the company stated.

Russ Vought, director of the Workplace of Administration and Funds, stated in a post on X that the terminated tasks have been in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

“Almost $8 billion in Inexperienced New Rip-off funding to gasoline the Left’s local weather agenda is being cancelled,” Vought wrote.

Democratic lawmakers and client advocates stated DOE’s funding cancellation is prohibited, and an instance of a presidential administration executing a political vendetta that may harm all Individuals.

“This administration has had plans within the works for months to cancel crucial vitality tasks, and now, they’re illegally taking motion to kill jobs and lift individuals’s vitality payments,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., stated in a statement. “It is a blatant try to punish the political opposition.”

“Our democracy is badly damaged when a president can illegally droop tasks for Blue states to be able to punish his political enemies,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a social media post.

“Terminating crucial vitality tasks in Democratic states weaponizes coverage for political revenge and can solely drive vitality payments greater, improve unemployment, and remove jobs. It’s reckless and betrays each widespread sense and public belief,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., stated in a statement.

Slicing the tasks’ funding “will imply misplaced manufacturing unit jobs and better vitality costs for American customers,” Jackie Wong, senior vp for local weather and vitality on the Pure Sources Protection Council, stated in a press release. “Ending help for these tasks will stall American innovation and competitiveness, elevating prices for customers, and additional cementing our reliance on soiled fossil fuels.”

Canceled funding awards reportedly embody hydrogen projects in California and the Pacific Northwest. NRDC stated the cancellations additionally embody funding for battery vegetation, electrical grid upgrades, clear car manufacturing and industrial demonstrations tasks.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a press release confirming DOE canceled up to $1.2 billion for the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems, the state’s deliberate hydrogen hub.

“The cancellation of ARCHES is vindictive, shortsighted, and proof this Administration isn’t severe about American vitality dominance,” stated Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.

Finally, U.S. customers pays the value, advocates stated.

By canceling extra renewable vitality tasks, Trump “is instantly elevating vitality payments for hundreds of thousands of Individuals,” Sierra Membership Local weather Coverage Director Patrick Drupp stated in a press release.