The Trump administration has cancelled $7.6bn in grants supporting hundreds of clean energy projects across 16 states, all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The move has been condemned by Democrats and environmental groups as a 'sick political game' that will drive up energy bills.
The Department of Energy announced on Thursday that 223 projects were terminated after a review found they did not adequately advance the nation's energy needs or were not economically viable. The cuts affect battery plants, hydrogen technology, grid upgrades, and carbon-capture efforts, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
White House budget director Russ Vought highlighted the cutbacks on social media, saying money 'to fuel the Left’s climate agenda is being cancelled'. Targeted states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray of Washington accused the administration of treating 'families and their livelihoods like pawns in some sort of sick political game'. California Governor Gavin Newsom said the cancellation of the state's hydrogen hub threatens over 200,000 jobs. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the cuts as business decisions to protect taxpayer money.
