Department of EnergyOver 300 funding awards for projects in 16 states Democratic candidate Kamala Harris In the presidential election in 2024, the brakes slammed on efforts to reduce carbon emissions, air and water pollution and strengthen the electric grid.
About $ 8 billion rescued in funding On Wednesday, the first day of the federal was announced government shutdownAnd the same day the Trump administration provoked a pimples $ 18 billion for two large -scale infrastructure projects in New York City – Home of two top Democrats of Congress.
While some cancellations declared earlier by the office management and budget director Russell Wout were new, others were earlier declared by the Department of Energy in May.
The awards per awards were released by the Department of Energy Department, energy efficiency and renewable energy, grid deployment, construction and energy supply chains, advanced research projects agency-energy and fossil energy offices.
Ian Wales said, “These estimated significant emissions would have declined.” National resource defense countyL, a advocacy group. Wales said, “Not only greenhouse emissions, but things that will lead to green air and water.”
Wales noted that one canceled a $ 87 million grant Sublime systemWhich was to manufacture low carbon cement manufacturing in Holoka, Massachusetts, which included between 70 and 90 jobs.
Wales said, “This was about American manufacturing competition and restoring growing jobs, as well as to protect the environment, Wells said.
“This is potentially a win-win, and it is probably now being thrown out.”
The Department of Energy did not release details of 223 projects affected by the end of funding.
But Democrat on House Appropriation Committee Compiled a list of affected projects And released it on Thursday afternoon.
The group said, “The end of these important energy projects will increase energy prices, eliminate jobs and the energy grid will become less reliable.”
The finished funding included $ 1.12 billion for a hydrogen hub in California under the so-called arches program- Akshaya Clean Hydrogen Energy Francies Flood,
“Today’s decision to withdraw federal funds for arches ignore the important benefits that will distribute our projects – including 220,000 American jobs and strong national energy security and flexibility.”
“Arcs ecosystem and marketplace will move forward with the collaboration of state leaders and private sector innovators-to build our strong foundation to create a reliable, future-focused domestic hydrogen network for California and beyond.”
One and $ 1.1 billion in grant for energy projects across Washington state Pacific northwest hydrogen hubAccording to Washington State officials, it was canceled by the Department of Energy.
“Hub will create a clean hydrogen economy in our region,” Washington village Bob Ferguson said in a statement to CNBC.
“It is derogatory that the administration is using a government shutdown to punish blue states like Washington,” Ferguson said. “We are working with the Attorney General’s office to fight this illegal action.”
Chris Green, president of the Pacific Hydrogen Association, called the “an intestine punch” to cancel Federal Funds for the hub.
Green told CNBC, “We are definitely very disappointed,” given that the project could cause thousands or thousands of jobs.
He said that the companies involved in the hub were “spending a lot of their own money,” provides the remaining 20% or costs with federal funds, with about 80% committed money provided by private companies.
“Can we still do this project that we have lost 20% of our planned revenue?” Green asked. “It remains to be seen whether some of these projects may be firm.”
The Colorado Energy Office stated that more than 30 grants of more than $ 500 million are being illegally terminated in Colorado.
The office states that two of them provide $ 2.5 million of two of them to support low energy usage and generate cost savings through energy code and manufacture standards of performance.
The office said, “Other finished grants in Colorado are from investing in oil and gas methane decreased projects and utility programs in low -income communities ranging from investing in flexibility.”
The office said, “This clearly politically induced targeting of the administration by the administration will balloon the energy costs, the grid will threaten reliability, increase pollution, and create instability in our business community.”
Senate Minority Leader Chak ShumarNew York Democrat said in a statement about funding cuts, “This is beyond targeting blue states. It is taking a debris for the life of working families: taking out the construction workers and increasing the electricity bills of families for political gains.”
“Donald Trump is threatening to ruin the energy costs and billions, erasing already running projects in his endless campaign to take chaos and revenge and rinse thousands of American jobs in the process,” Shumor said.
“It is derogatory and reverse to draw a rug from local projects, workers, and businesses that increase our local economies, increase American innovation and low costs.”
The Department of Energy said that the cancellation followed “a completely, personal financial review”, which “determines that these projects did not enough the country’s energy needs, were not financially viable, and taxpayers would not provide a positive return to the dollar investment.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said several awards “ran away with insufficient documentation by any appropriate business standard in the last months of Biden administration.”
“President Trump promised to protect the taxpayer dollar and expand the US supply of cheap, reliable and safe energy,” Wright said, saying that the cancellation “leads to that commitment.”
The department stated that 321 Financial Awards were abolished, “26% was honored between Election Day and inauguration Day,” with those awards alone had a value of over $ 3.1 billion alone.
But NRDC advocate Wales stated that despite the claims of the Energy Department, “Unlike Bolin Administration projects,” there is a lack of transparency in the process of cancellation of funding. He said that the department itself did not release the list of publicly canceled projects.
The Department of Energy did not respond to the CNBC request for that list.
Wells said that democratic members of the Congress had expressed concern about the impact of political appointments in the Department of Energy and other federal agencies in the decisions of the Trump administration’s funding.
He said that another major funding grant, which was canceled in May, was done for $ 500 million Labch net-ziro The project in Lebec, California, which was aimed at producing carbon-plate cement.
Wells stated that the project, and canceled sublime system projects in Massachusetts, “seem to be in line with administration’s priorities to” strengthen American manufacturing and compete with foreign competitors “.
Kane Lawate, Senior Communications Advisor to Energy and Environment for the Government of New York, said Kathy Hachul said that the funding cut “is not surprising to see the complete attack on the clean energy of Trump administration.”
“Whether it is blocking the offshore air, cutting federal incentives for electric vehicles and solar energy, or withdrawing clean air and clean water standards, the Trump administration’s progress we have made attempts to roll it, putting the good and safety of New Yorsers,” Lavate said in a statement.
“We will not go back.”
– CNBC Emily WilkinsAshli Trujilo and MC Walls Contributed to this story.
