The administration nixed $7.6 billion in clean energy grants last year “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state,” the U.S Department of Energy said in court documents.
President Donald Trump speaks to the media on May 19, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The cancellation of $7.6 billion in clean energy grants last year was “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state,” the U.S Department of Energy said in a July 15, 2026, court filing. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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Dive Brief:
- The Trump administration’s cancellation of $7.6 billion in clean energy grants last year was “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state,” the U.S Department of Energy said in a July 15 court filing first reported by the New York Times on Friday.
- DOE in October 2025 canceled 223 clean energy project grants, all in states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Some of the cancellations have been overturned in court.
- Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., called DOE’s filing a “stunning admission” that the Trump administration is “weaponizing the federal funding process,” and further warned that an Office of Management and Budget proposal filed in May would normalize the approach.
