Trump Cuts $8B Clean Energy Grants in 16 States that Voted for Harris/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Trump administration has canceled $7.6 billion in clean energy grants across 16 states that supported Kamala Harris in 2024. Officials claim the projects were economically unviable, though critics call it political retaliation. The cuts affect hydrogen, battery, grid, and carbon-capture projects nationwide.
Energy Cuts and Shutdown Strategy: Quick Looks
- $7.6B in clean energy grants terminated by Trump’s Energy Department.
- All affected states supported Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
- Projects cut include hydrogen hubs, battery plants, and grid upgrades.
- California’s $1.2B ARCHES hydrogen project among those canceled.
- White House says cuts ensure taxpayer money is used “wisely.”
- Energy Secretary denies political motivation behind cancellations.
- Democrats call move retaliatory and harmful to energy innovation.
- Awardees have 30 days to appeal the decision.
Deep Look
Trump Administration Cancels $7.6 Billion in Clean Energy Projects, All in States That Voted for Harris
In a sweeping move with deep political and environmental implications, the Trump administration has rescinded $7.6 billion in clean energy funding across 16 states — all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The Energy Department announced Thursday that the grants were terminated after a post-election review found they either failed to advance national energy goals or were not economically viable.
The cuts hit 223 projects funded through multiple Department of Energy (DOE) programs, including the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. While the administration declined to provide a full list of impacted projects, the move immediately affects major clean-energy initiatives, including hydrogen fuel hubs, electric grid improvements, carbon capture efforts, and battery manufacturing facilities.
Blue States Targeted Amid Shutdown Pressure
The affected states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington — all of which voted for Harris and where both U.S. senators opposed the GOP’s short-term budget bill to keep the government open.
White House Budget Director Russ Vought praised the move on social media, declaring the administration is cutting off funding for the “Left’s climate agenda.” He emphasized that money would no longer support projects he claimed lacked merit.
In contrast, environmental advocates say the real motive is political retribution. The timing of the announcement — as President Donald Trump uses the government shutdown to apply pressure on Democrats — has intensified those accusations.
California Hydrogen Project Among Hardest Hit
Among the largest casualties is California’s $1.2 billion ARCHES hydrogen hub, a centerpiece of the state’s clean energy transition. Backed by $10 billion in private investment, the project aimed to create over 200,000 jobs and place California at the forefront of the hydrogen economy.
Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the move, calling it a “direct threat” to California’s clean energy future. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) called the cancellation “vindictive, shortsighted and proof this administration is not serious about American energy dominance.”
Similarly, up to $1 billion was cut from a hydrogen initiative in the Pacific Northwest. However, projects in red or swing states — including a three-state hydrogen hub in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania — were left intact. A hydrogen hub in Texas also survived the cut.
“I Will Probably Do That”
In a preview clip from an interview with One America News, President Trump confirmed his intention to cancel clean energy projects he said “never should have been approved in the first place.”
“I’m allowed to cut things … and I will probably do that,” he said, confirming critics’ fears that the shutdown is being used to settle political scores.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said Trump and Vought are “treating American families and their livelihoods like pawns in some sort of sick political game.” She added that the administration has “illegally taken action to kill jobs and raise people’s energy bills.”
DOE Defends Cuts as Fiscal Responsibility
Energy Secretary Chris Wright, appointed by Trump, defended the decision, saying the cancellations are not politically motivated.
“These are business decisions,” he said in a CNN interview Thursday. “These projects will not be restored when the government reopens.”
Wright said the DOE has been reviewing all energy awards made by the Biden administration since Trump’s victory in November 2024, noting that more than 25% of the canceled projects were awarded between Election Day and Inauguration Day.
Despite the concentration of current cuts in Democrat-led states, Wright said more terminations may follow in both red and blue states.
“You’ll see cancellations in red and blue states,” he said. “We’ve got to save Americans money.”
Appeal Process Underway
Award recipients now have 30 days to appeal the termination of their funding. It’s unclear how many will succeed or whether the Energy Department plans to revisit any decisions. Still, environmental advocates argue the damage is already done.
Jackie Wong, Senior Vice President of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said the administration’s cuts are a “blow against innovation, job creation, and the clean energy needed to meet rising energy demand.”
Conrad Schneider, Senior Director of the Clean Air Task Force, added: “This pulls the rug out from under dozens of communities and workers who were counting on these projects.” He warned that the cuts “weaken the U.S. position in the global race for clean energy technologies.”
More Cuts to Come?
Last week, the Trump administration rescinded an additional $13 billion in clean energy funds authorized under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but not yet disbursed. The administration is also advancing rollbacks of vehicle emissions standards and other climate-related regulations.
With the shutdown ongoing and federal budget negotiations stalled, clean energy advocates expect further cuts — especially in programs aligned with Biden’s climate agenda.
Whether additional terminations will also target Democratic states remains to be seen, but critics argue the pattern is already clear: the Trump administration is using its power over federal spending not only to advance conservative energy priorities but also to punish political opponents.
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