Trump administration considers major cuts to clean energy programs, drawing bipartisan pushback

Lawmakers from both parties are pressing the U.S. Department of Energy to preserve billions in clean energy investments after draft lists of possible project cuts began circulating on Capitol Hill.

James Bikales, Josh Siegel, Kelsey Tamborrino and Ben Lefebvre report for POLITICO.

In short:

• The Energy Department is reviewing whether to cut funding for several clean energy projects, including hydrogen hubs and carbon capture initiatives launched under the Biden administration.
• Draft internal lists suggest prioritizing red-state projects while slashing those in blue states, raising accusations of political favoritism and legal concerns over canceling congressionally approved spending.
• Lawmakers from both parties, as well as energy companies and local officials, are lobbying the department to preserve projects tied to jobs, emissions reduction, and energy security.

Key quote:

“Scaling back now and politicizing the rollout of this program will stifle progress, cost thousands of jobs, limit economic growth, and weaken our energy security.”

— Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, Democrat of Pennsylvania

Why this matters:

Billions of dollars earmarked by the Biden administration for emerging technologies like carbon capture, hydrogen infrastructure, and a more resilient power grid are now under scrutiny, with signs that funding may be cut or redirected. What makes this moment especially fraught is the uneven political geography of the energy transition: Many of the now-vulnerable projects are in Democratic-leaning states, raising concerns about the politicization of climate policy. Beyond the politics, there are real-world consequences for communities that had begun to rely on clean tech investments for jobs and economic diversification.

Related: Trump’s clean energy rollback puts U.S. manufacturers on edge