Department Of Energy Cancels $7.5b Of Clean Energy Projects In Mostly Blue States

The Department of Energy said Wednesday nighttime it was canceling 321 awards worthy $7.56 cardinal that were mostly focused connected cleanable energy.

The agency hasn’t publically released a database of nan affected projects and, astatine nan clip of publication, it had not provided 1 to TechCrunch. According to E&E News and Heatmap, which person obtained nan list, nan mostly of nan cuts person deed states that went for Kamala Harris successful nan past statesmanlike election, though immoderate were successful “red” states that voted for President Trump.

Direct aerial seizure and hydrogen hub projects look to person been wiped retired arsenic a result. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that 1 of nan canceled projects included $1.2 cardinal for nan state’s hydrogen hub, nan Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems, and E&E News is reporting that hubs successful Texas and Louisiana were besides connected nan chopping block.

At slightest 10 nonstop aerial seizure (DAC) projects totaling $47.3 cardinal were cut, though those successful Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana, and North Dakota person survived. The lipid and state manufacture has been supportive of DAC projects because nan captured CO2 tin beryllium injected into underperforming lipid wells to boost production.

Other states affected by nan billions successful canceled contracts see Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.

The Harris-voting states pinch canceled projects were confirmed successful a tweet from Russell Vought, nan head of nan Office of Management and Budget. He teased nan cancellations earlier yesterday successful an evident effort to deepen partisanship during nan shutdown, adding that “the Left’s ambiance schedule is being cancelled.” All 16 states that he listed voted for Kamala Harris successful nan past statesmanlike election, and galore are controlled by Democrats astatine nan authorities level. Conspicuously, Vought omitted Trump-voting states that were connected nan list.

All 16 states voted for Kamala Harris successful nan past statesmanlike election, and galore are controlled by Democrats astatine nan authorities level.

The awards were primitively granted by nan agency for Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Clean Energy Demonstrations, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy, Grid Deployment, and Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains.

The Department of Energy said 26% of nan awards were granted betwixt Election Day and Inauguration Day successful January; nan president’s authority doesn’t extremity aft Election Day, but runs until Inauguration Day. 

The awardees person 30 days to entreaty nan decision.

The Trump management has made nary concealed that it wants to undermine immoderate modulation distant from fossil fuels. Last week, nan Department of Energy banned staffers from utilizing definite words, including “climate change” and “emissions.”

In May, nan agency canceled $3.7 cardinal worthy of cleanable power and manufacturing awards. Those cancellations spanned a wide database of industries, from metallic manufacturing and cement companies to powerfulness works operators and chemic plants tally by fossil substance giants.

The Trump administration’s fierce cancellations person prompted galore awardees to writer nan authorities to clasp nan awards. The Environmental Protection Agency, which was speedy to cancel contracts worthy $20 billion, has been an early target of ineligible action. So far, nan plaintiffs person had mixed success.

While a federal territory tribunal said nan EPA’s actions were “arbitrary and capricious,” an appellate tribunal ruled successful favour of nan agency, saying that nan statement cancellations were valid and showed nan authorities exercising “proper oversight and management.”

In nan lawsuit of nan caller DOE cancellations, respective grant recipients person already appealed nan decision, nan agency confirmed.

Update: The article and header person been updated to see further specifications astir which states and programs are affected.