The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Wednesday that it will cancel $7.56 billion in financing for hundreds of clean energy and research projects, citing insufficient returns for taxpayers. The move comes as part of a broader $26 billion funding freeze introduced by President Donald Trump, aimed at scaling back Democratic-led climate and energy initiatives during an ongoing government shutdown standoff.
According to the DOE, a total of 321 financial awards across 223 projects will be terminated. These projects spanned multiple agency divisions, including clean energy, energy efficiency, grid deployment, advanced research, manufacturing, and fossil fuels. The department did not release a list of the specific projects being cut.
The announcement followed a post by White House budget director Russell Vought, who said the administration would halt nearly $8 billion in climate-related funding in 16 Democratic-led states, including California and New York. The cancellations, he argued, align with the administration’s commitment to protect taxpayers from projects deemed ineffective.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that the decision was consistent with Trump’s pledge to safeguard public funds while supporting reliable and affordable energy for American households. “Today’s cancellations deliver on that commitment,” Wright said, noting that further reviews of awards are underway.
Reports from Bloomberg suggested that the funding cuts include major proposed hydrogen hubs in California and the Pacific Northwest. California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the decision, calling it a setback for his state’s $1.2 billion federally backed hydrogen hub initiative. Despite the loss of federal funding, Newsom vowed that California will continue pursuing an “all-of-the-above” clean energy strategy to reduce emissions and protect public health.
The cancellations highlight escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic states over climate policy, potentially reshaping America’s clean energy future as federal support shifts away from renewable projects.