BIL/IRA Implementation Digest — March 3, 2025

by Joe Cullen

Mar 3, 2025 | BIL/IRA Implementation Digest

Big Picture – Trump Administration Reverses Gears on Clean Energy   

Three articles provide summaries & an overview of the upcoming months (PDFs linked below).

  1. How Elon Musk Executed His Takeover of the Federal Bureaucracy – By J. Swan, Ryan Mack, Maggie Haberman, Kate Conger, N. Nehamas and Madeleine Ngo, New York Times – Feb. 28, 2025 – The operation was driven with a frenetic focus by the billionaire, who channeled his resentment of regulatory oversight into a drastic overhaul of government.
  2. ‘Full on Fight Club’: How Trump Is Crushing U.S. Climate Policy by David Gelles, Lisa Friedman, and Brad Plumer – New York Times – March 2, 2025 – President Trump has quickly transformed America’s approach to the environment, withholding funds and stretching the limits of presidential power.
  3. Trump’s false claim that Stacey Abrams headed a group that got $1.9 billion by Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, March 6, 2025 – In his speech to Congress, Trump played up unproven claims of malfeasance in green-energy funding. Spoiler Alert: 4 Pinocchios

 

Responses to the Federal Funding Freeze & Reversal on Clean Energy

Earned Media 

Feb. 26, 2025 – PRESS CONF. – Advocates Applaud Gov. Shapiro’s Lawsuit to Unfreeze Federal Funding, Discuss Continued Uncertainty, Potential Impacts of Funding Cuts —HARRISBURG, PA – On Wednesday, February 26 at 11:00 AM, advocates will hold a virtual press conference to discuss the negative impacts on Pennsylvanians of the Trump Administration’s hold on funding and the importance of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s lawsuit compelling the Administration to release federal funds. Advocates will share compelling stories about the work being done with federal funding across the Commonwealth and the potential job loss, harm to public health, and missed opportunities for families to reduce their utility bills if there are continued interruptions and uncertainty with this funding.

  • Joanne Kilgour, Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI), moderator
  • Bobby Hughes, Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation
  • James Whitesel, Unionville Chadds Ford School District Director of Facilities
  • Ted Boettner, senior researcher at ORVI will discuss how funding for plugging and capping abandoned/orphaned wells has been affected

Draft social media with links to share out video/clips are Here.

The recording is Here

Video clips we have pulled that we’ll be using for social media are Here.

Press Clips:

A Deeper Dive on the Trump Administration Funding Freeze and Its Impacts on Pennsylvania – Research Notes on PA Funding at Risk

 

Video for Social Media

VIDEO Release on Butler Works – Jobs & Clean Steel Story – March 2025 (Beth Meiklejohn, TwoRoads Strategy – Beth@TwoRoadsStrategy.com) — Butler Works Clean Steel Toolkit – This story focuses on the Butler Works plant in Butler, PA, and a March 2024 DOE Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations’ Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP) grant. The Butler Works facility is represented by the United Auto Workers Local 3303. Butler Works invested the federal grant to invest in clean tech &  kept union jobs and clean steel production in SWPA rather than sending both overseas.

Pitch Angle: If your organization sees an opportunity to connect positive clean energy jobs/clean manufacturing stories, these stories are an example of how federal clean energy investments are creating jobs and strengthening the US steel supply chain using clean steel (we import 40% of US steel from Canada and Mexico). Soundbites from both employee videos put a finer point on how Butler Works’ steel would have been manufactured in China without this funding.

 

Clean Energy Tours – PennEnvironment

Register Here For Clean Energy Tours – See details on all events below

  • Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Wyoming Valley (Luzerne) — March 13th at 1pm
  • Black River Farms Vineyard (Northampton) — March 20th at 3pm
  • Burkholders Country Market (Centre County) — March 25th at 11am
  • Shelmar Acres Farm (Lancaster County) — March 28, 2025 at 2pm
  • SunCenter Studios (Delaware County) — April 2, 2025 at 11am
  • First Unitarian Universalist Church of Berks County (Berks) — April 10, 2025 at 11am

 

Advocacy – Green Bank Funding   

PA SOLAR FOR ALL

Partners Host PA Renewable Summit & Lobby Day In Harris. 3/24-3/25 – PA Solar Center

Could ‘Solar For All’ be doomed in Pennsylvania? – By Julie Grant – February 21, 2025 – Allegheny Front – The $7 billion Solar for All program, created under the Inflation Reduction Act, awarded millions of dollars to 49 states, including Pennsylvania, to help households in low-income and disadvantaged communities benefit from solar projects. But for Pennsylvania to access the funds, state lawmakers must take action by May.

Federally-funded solar program needs Pennsylvania approval to get started – by Rachel McDevitt/StateImpact Pennsylvania – The PA General Assembly must pass a new law to authorize DEP to spend the $156 million it was awarded last year through the Biden Admin. Solar for All program. But some state lawmakers are questioning whether spending the money now is a good use of taxpayer dollars, even though the money is under contract.

 

GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION FUNDING (GGRF) – Evergreen Action  

See Full Set of GGRF Newsclips Below at Pages 6-7

What’s Next on Trump’s Funding Freeze – States are fighting back—and it’s working. Evergreen Action Blog – Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – Earlier this month, EPA announced an attempt to terminate its financial agreement with Citibank, which is holding $20 billion in obligated funding under the GGRF. This is funding for the National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA).

EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund – Resources

After 2 weeks of the Trump Administration trying & failing to find evidence of wrongdoing in EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), funds held at Citibank remain frozen – and the nonprofit grantees have been given no explanation for the freeze from the bank or EPA.

 

Litigation

Lawyers for Good Government & Environmental Protection Network.  — Litigation Updates & Summary

Evergreen Action — Litigation Updates & Summary

Judge indefinitely blocks Trump’s plan to freeze federal aid – by Ella Lee – 02/25/25 – The Hill – A federal judge indefinitely blocked the Trump admin freeze of federal funding.  

 

Clean Energy Project Highlights, Impacts of Freeze, & Opinion Pieces

Federal funding for abandoned mines in Pa. must be protected – by Eric Dixon, for The Philadelphia Inquirer – March 3, 2025 – Funds are now unfrozen, but we must ensure all promised and future funding reaches Pennsylvania communities.

Trump’s federal funding freeze brought some abandoned mine cleanup in Pennsylvania to a standstill – By Reid Frazier – February 28, 2025 – The Allegheny Front — Abandoned mines are a particularly important problem in Clearfield County, which sits an hour  east of State College. Williams said the county has the most abandoned mine cleanup sites in Pennsylvania, which has the most abandoned mine sites of any state in the U.S. Then came President Donald Trump. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order blocking any spending from the infrastructure law. That meant the more than $700 million dollars already allocated to Pennsylvania for mine cleanups were unavailable.

Pennsylvania Republicans who narrowly won their House seats feel the heat of early votes back home – By  MARC LEVY – March 1, 2025 – Associated Press

EV charging freeze is a direct attack on Appalachian jobs and prosperity: Nick Messenger, op ed – Feb. 23, 2025 – Cleveland.com – No matter whom you vote for or what kind of car you drive, infrastructure for electric vehicles means jobs. Appalachians know what it means to work hard. But too often, politicians and corporations make decisions in far-away meeting rooms that ultimately strip our communities of good jobs and economic opportunities. Nick Messenger is a senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute.

Investigation reveals dozens of dangerous abandoned mines in Western Pennsylvania By Paul Van Osdol – WTAE ABC Pittsburgh – February 20, 2025 – MONROEVILLE, Pa.  — Elizabeth Pollard died in December after falling into a sinkhole at an abandoned mine in Unity Township, Westmoreland Co. A DEP spokesperson said it has targeted dozens of dangerous abandoned mines for reclamation using federal funds. In the past 20 years, DEP has completed more than 800 reclamation projects in Allegheny Co. But a lawsuit filed by Gov. Shapiro said Pres. Trump’s suspension of federal grants threatens $3 billion for abandoned mines over a 15-year period. Asked about the lawsuit, White House press office  Harrison Fields said in a statement: “These lawsuits are nothing more than an extension of the Left’s resistance – and the Trump Administration is ready to face them in court.”

Pennsylvania farm group faces layoffs amid federal funding freeze – By Julie Grant – February 28, 2025 – The Allegheny Front – While some federal money has been unfrozen in PA, farmers here, and around the country, still don’t know if the Trump administration will start paying the money it committed to them. In the meantime, Pasa Sustainable Agriculture is preparing to lay off more than half its staff because of the funding freeze.

Taking action on the federal funding freeze – Pasa Sustainable Agriculture – February 22, 2025 – In Pennsylvania, Jake Kristophel and Desiree Sirois graze 200 sheep and had planned to seed their paddocks with warm-season, native grasses.

Our Farmers and Neighbors Need Your Voice, Now More than Ever – Natl. Sustainable Agriculture Coalition – Tell Your Members Of Congress To Unfreeze Agriculture Funds Now

Conservationists raise alarm over federal employee firings – by Kara Holsopple, February 28, 2025 – The Allegheny Front – Reuters reported that over 3,000 Forest Service employees and a thousand Park Service employees were let go.

Natural Resources Defense Council: Federal Freeze On Solar For All Grant Leaves Pennsylvania In The Dark – On February 13, the Natural Resources Defense Council said the President’s freeze on funding for the Solar for All grants across the US is impacting 60 programs, including Pennsylvania.

President Takes Another Step To Stop Plan To Building Electric Vehicle Charging Sites by Ed Blazina, February 9, 2025, PittsburghUnionProgress.com

What President’s Halt Of $5 Billion EV Charging Program Could Mean For PA – by Julie Grant | Allegheny Front – February 14, 2025

Reason for hope in turbulent times: When the public demands better, change can happen – PA Capital–Star – By Kartik Amarnath, Vote Solar’s mid-Atlantic regulatory director – February 17, 2025 – There is an absurd myth that is aging just as poorly as our nation’s crumbling coal plants: that renewable energy is more expensive than fossil fuels. Pennsylvania is consistently one of the highest producers and consumers of fossil fuels, one of the worst states for renewables, and yet Pennsylvanians continue to experience unprecedented spikes in electricity costs. Last year, PECO (formerly the Philadelphia Electric Company) committed to commissioning the state’s largest ever utility solar project because activists demonstrated how purchasing energy from more renewables would reduce costs for customers.

If you care about national parks and forests, tell Congress to stop Trump now by Douglas Austen, former director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Guest Opinion – PennLive – Feb. 25, 2025

A government worker’s message for Elon Musk – By Robert Costa – February 16, 2025 CBS News – Sunday Morning Show – We met Mark in the historic coal country of Western Pennsylvania. Mine safety has been Mark’s life’s work. In his 20s, he left the coalfields to earn a Ph.D., then returned as an engineer for the federal government. His efforts have helped save countless lives underground. “It was still maybe a coal miner every week that was being killed in a rock fall,” he said. “In 2016, we had our first year with zero, a really tremendous accomplishment.”

Amid frozen forestry funds, Pittsburgh’s faith leaders called to become environmental shepherds – 90.5 WESA, by Gabriela Herring – February 25, 2025 – The inaugural Multi-Faith Community Forestry Summit commenced at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. What was meant to be a celebration of federal investments in disadvantaged Pittsburgh neighborhoods became a rally promoting community action. “We could have canceled today’s summit when we received the executive order, but honestly, we need your inspiration and can-do attitude more than ever.” The event was organized by PA Interfaith Power and Light & the Pittsburgh Canopy Alliance, of which Tree Pittsburgh is part.

‘No rhyme or reason’: How federal layoffs are impacting Pittsburgh workers – 90.5 WESA | By Julia Zenkevich – February 24, 2025 – Many of the local union members who are out of work appear to have been employed by the Department of Energy.

  

Governor Shapiro’s Announcement – Federal Funds Are Unfrozen

Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) – February 24, 2025 Press Release PA DEP – DEP is now accepting applications for the Medium- and Large-scale Award Tracks. The application deadline is August 29, 2025.

Gov. Shapiro says the Trump administration has unfrozen billions in grants and loans – WTAE ABC News – Feb 24, 2025

Shapiro says federal funding for Pa. cut off by Trump administration is unfrozen – by: Ian Karbal – February 24, 2025 – PA Capital Star – More than $2 billion of federal funding for PA that had been cut off by the  Trump administration will be made available. Gov. Josh Shapiro made the announcement at a press conference on Monday.

Shapiro Announces Federal Funds Identified In State Lawsuit Are No Longer Frozen – Mine Reclamation, Conventional Well Plugging, Water Infrastructure  – Monday, February 24, 2025 – PA ENV Blog by David Hess

Gov. Shapiro Says Billions In Federal Funding Now Unfrozen – By  MARC LEVY, AP – February 24, 2025 – Shapiro said in a news conference that more than $2 billion that his administration had identified as either frozen or held up by an unspecified review was now accessible to state agencies.

Release of federal funds for Pennsylvania doesn’t include money for transportation projects – by Ed Blazina – Feb. 25, 2025 – Union Progress – The release of $2.1 billion in frozen federal funds that PA Gov. Josh Shapiro engineered from the White House does not include money for 3 major transportation projects. Shapiro clarified Tuesday the release does not include more than $700 million the state had been awarded to expand passenger rail service, build electric charging stations & replace the I-83 bridge near Harrisburg.

$2.1 Billion In Federal Funding Restored In PA After State’s Lawsuit, But Other Funding For State-Administered Programs May Be At Risk – by Jon Hurdle, Inside Climate News – February 25, 2025 – But other federal money for state-administered programs may still be at risk, a former environment secretary warns.

 

News/Background on Frozen Green Bank Funding

  • $14 Billion – National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF)
  • $6 Billion – Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA)

FBI investigating Trump EPA claims of fraud in $20B Biden grant fund – By Spencer S. Hsu, Maxine Joselow and Nicolás Rivero – Washington Post – February 27, 2025 – While career prosecutors in two U.S. attorney offices and a U.S. judge balked at a court-ordered freeze, Citibank has locked down billions without explanation.
Climate Groups Were Counting on $20 Billion. Trump Won’t Let Them Access It. By Lisa Friedman, Claire Brown and Charlie Savage – March 4, 2025 – New York Times – The Justice Dept. and F.B.I. are investigating $20 billion in climate funds, despite a top prosecutor’s decision that there was not sufficient evidence of wrongdoing. Two weeks after their bank accounts were frozen amid a swirl of investigations by the Trump administration, nonprofit organizations that were supposed to receive $20 billion to help curb climate change are still unable to withdraw money, raising concerns about their ability to pay staff.

EPA Freezes “Green Bank” – PRX – NPR/Boston – Living on Earth February 21, 2025 – Interview with Jillian Blanchard, Vice President of Climate Change and Environmental Justice at Lawyers for Good Government, joins Hosts Steve Curwood and Jenni Doering to discuss the impacts to nonprofits and private contractors who are unable to access their funds. [Great Summary of Status of Solar for All, National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator – Green Banks]

Recipient isn’t giving in as Trump’s EPA tries to revoke climate grants – By Zack Colman Politico – Feb. 28, 2025 – “We have an obligation to fulfill” the grant agreement, Power Forward Communities (NCIF) CEO Tim Mayopoulos said (interview with POLITICO).

EPA Freezing Green Groups’ Bank Accounts ‘Strikingly Illegal,’ Prof Says – by Jeff Young  February 28, 2025 – Newsweek. In a letter sent to the EPA Monday, Democrats in the Senate said Zeldin’s “inaccurate and misleading” claims were a pretext to do away with a program Congress had already authorized and funded.

Republicans once embraced ‘green banks.’ Trump is trying to raid them – by Jake Bittle Grist – February 20, 2025 – EPA chief Lee Zeldin has launched an attack on the agency’s $20 billion clean energy loan program.

After Trump’s attempt to halt $20 billion in climate projects for vulnerable communities, Fox falsely frames climate initiatives as “embezzlement” and “a slush fund” by Evlondo Cooper, Media Matters, February 28, 2025

Groups frozen out of $20B in EPA cash fear bankruptcy  by Jean Chemnick, Politico – February 28, 2025 – Eight nonprofits caught in a legal crossfire over $20 billion in Biden-era climate grants are racing toward a funding cliff. The groups have been shut out of their accounts at Citibank since Feb. 18 because of a still-unexplained freeze imposed amid criticism from President Donald Trump’s administration.

Senator Markey Slams Trump for Weaponizing FBI to Target National Climate Bank Funding– February 28, 2025 – Press Release

EPA Formally Refers Financial Mismanagement of $20B “Gold Bars” to Inspector From EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov) – March 3, 2025

Trump Team Finds Loophole to Defy Spirit of Court Orders Blocking Spending Freezes by Charlie Savage – Feb. 19, 2025 – New York Times – The Trump admin. is systematically exploiting loopholes to keep much of the president’s blanket spending freezes in place, accounts by officials & court filings show, despite restraining orders from judges. The administration’s strategy is to have political appointees embedded in various agencies invoke other legal authorities to pause spending, while posturing as if those officials had undertaken the efforts independent of President Trump’s original directives.

The $20 Billion Controversy Over E.P.A. Climate Funds, Explained – By Claire Brown Feb. 20, 2025 – New York Times – The fate of $20 billion in federal climate funding that was legally committed months before the election has been thrown into question after a weeklong controversy involving “gold bars,” the right-wing group Project Veritas and two federal agencies. Now, more than 200 planned investments intended to help finance clean energy and environmental projects in underserved communities may be at risk.

 

NOTES on DOGE Layoffs, Litigation & “Receipts”

DOGE Quietly Deletes the 5 Biggest Spending Cuts It Celebrated Last Week By David A. Fahrenthold, Aatish Bhatia, Margot Sanger-Katz, Emily Badger, Ethan Singer and Josh Katz – New York Times – February 25, 2025 – The cuts, highlighted on an earlier version of the “wall of receipts” posted by Elon Musk’s team, contained mistakes that vastly inflated the amount of money saved.

Judge continues to block Trump administration’s freeze on federal assistance by Jacob Rosen, Melissa Quinn – CBS News – February 25, 2025

For Trump, 3 court losses in 90 minutes by Devan Cole, CNN – February 25, 2025 In DC, Judge Loren AliKhan issued a preliminary injunction that indefinitely blocks the administration from freezing federal grants and loans. “In the simplest terms, the freeze was ill-conceived from the beginning. Defendants either wanted to pause up to $3 trillion in federal spending practically overnight, or they expected each federal agency to review every single one of its grants, loans, and funds for compliance in less than twenty-four hours. The breadth of that command is almost unfathomable,”

Board agrees to pause firings for some feds, potentially upending Trump’s widespread terminations by Eric Katz – Government Executive Feb. 25, 2025 The employees must be reinstated to their roles pending further investigation, appeals board rules.

‘Viciousness’ of Trump’s climate attacks stuns even his critics by Benjamin Storrow and Jean Chemnick – 02/22/2025 – Politico President Donald Trump has attacked nearly every aspect of the U.S. effort to confront rising temperatures.

EPA Unfreezes at Least Some Climate Spending – By Brad Plumer – New York Times – Feb. 21, 2025 – The funding, approved by Congress and overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency, had been blocked since January, when President Trump ordered a pause and review of climate and clean energy programs.

Judge indefinitely blocks Trump’s plan to freeze federal aid – by Ella Lee – 02/25/25 – The Hill – A federal judge on Tuesday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration’s freeze of federal funding, dealing a stark blow to President Trump’s sweeping efforts to realign government spending with his agenda. U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan enjoined the government as “ill-conceived from the beginning.” “Defendants either wanted to pause up to $3 trillion in federal spending practically overnight, or they expected each federal agency to review every single one of its grants, loans, and funds for compliance in less than twenty-four hours. The breadth of that command is almost unfathomable.”

Blue states hope their clean energy plans withstand collision with Trump – by Alex Brown – February 11, 2025 – Stateline – “These actions are sowing a lot of chaos,” said Patrick Drupp, director of climate policy with the Sierra Club, a national environmental advocacy group. “The longer that goes on, the more likely projects go away. If developers start pulling back from large projects, those are big parts of meeting [clean energy] goals for a lot of these states.”

Sweeping US energy department layoffs hit offices of loans, nuclear security, sources say – By Timothy Gardner and Valerie Volcovici – Reuters – February 14, 2025

Pa. programs in limbo from federal freeze are all environment or energy projects by Gillian McGoldrick – Philadelphia Inquirer February 17, 2025 – Gov. Josh Shapiro sued the Trump administration on Thursday over what he argued is an unconstitutional freeze of more than $2 billion in funds already approved by Congress to go to Pennsylvania. Most of the federal funds earmarked for Pennsylvania that are now frozen or restricted by Donald Trump’s administration were set aside for environmental and energy projects.

 

New PJM Report & Clean Energy Reports Released 

Faulty Interconnection Processes Costing PJM Consumers Billions, New Report Finds Posted by Savannah Gribbins on Feb 24, 2025 – Advanced Energy United – Electricity prices across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest are set to soar, but a new analysis finds that consumer electricity costs could have been reduced by as much as $7 billion dollars in PJM Interconnection’s latest capacity auction had the grid operator’s interconnection process been working more efficiently to bring needed supply online to match demand. The finding comes from a new analysis “Penny-wise and pound foolish: PJM’s Capacity Auction Demonstrates the Cost Imperative of Simplified and Speedy Interconnection.

Here’s where clean manufacturing dollars are getting spent post-IRA – by Maeve Allsup February 24, 2025, Latitude Media – Breaking down clean manufacturing investments by congressional district – According to the latest Clean Investment Monitor report, out today, districts currently represented by Republicans received $223 billion of that total — a whopping 77%. That’s compared to the $66 billion invested in districts represented by Democrats. The Clean Investment Monitor is a joint project by Rhodium Group and MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.

Smart Policies Can Halt the Stampede to New Gas Power Plants – by John Quigley | Kleinman Center – UPenn – February 24, 2025 – Significant electricity load growth can be accommodated without a stampede to new gas generation while propelling the clean energy transition.

PA DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee Updates – February 18, 2025

February 18, 2025 PA DEP Meeting Slides

Trump darkens financial outlook for clean tech companies – By Benjamin Storrow – Feb. 27, 2025 – E&ENews/Politico –  Uncertainty is a dominant theme for clean energy companies five weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term.

Wind and solar surpassed coal, but CO2 is still climbing. Here’s why. – By Benjamin Storrow, February 28, 2025 – E&E News/Politico – Wind and solar generation eclipsed coal throughout 2024, marking the first time renewable power outperformed coal for a full year.

The US smashed clean energy records last year. Can it keep up the pace? by Akielly Hu, Canary Media – February 12, 2025 – Developers plan to add even more solar, wind, and battery storage capacity in 2025, but the Trump administration isn’t making that easy. Clean energy installations reached a record high last year, with the country adding 47% more capacity than in 2023, according to new research by energy data firm Cleanview.

 

Federal Fact Sheets on Freeze Impacts – BIL/IRA Funding

DeLauro, Kaptur Release Seven Fact Sheets Detailing How Trump’s Funding Freeze is Raising Energy Prices & Undermining Energy Dominance February 13, 2025 – Press Release

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) released seven new fact sheets detailing how President Trump’s funding freeze is raising prices for Americans across the country. By continuing to steal Department of Energy (DOE) funds promised to help families pay their energy bills, the Trump Administration is not only hurting the middle class, it continues to violate recent court orders.

The fact sheets below include information on how the frozen funding impacts each state:

  • Issue 1: Freezing Home Energy Rebates Program Raises Family Energy Costs
  • Issue 2: Freezing Electric Grid Programs Weakens Power Grid Against Wildfires, Extreme Weather, and Other Natural Disasters
  • Issue 3: Freezing Hydrogen Hubs Threatens Jobs and Energy Investments
  • Issue 4: Freezing Battery Manufacturing Programs Hurts Domestic Manufacturing and Eliminates Jobs
  • Issue 5: Freezing the Industrial Demonstrations Program Undermines U.S. Manufacturing Competitiveness and Strands Private Investment
  • Issue 6: Freezing the Weatherization Assistance Program Raises Energy Costs for Low-Income Families
  • Issue 7: Freezing the Loan Programs Eliminates Jobs and Kills Energy Investments

“President Trump ran on lowering costs and making America safer, instead he is illegally freezing funds, raising Americans’ energy bills, and making us more dependent on energy from other countries,” said Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro. “Democrats and Republicans joined forces to save American families up to $38 billion on their electricity bills between 2022 and 2030. By stealing these funds and threatening to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, President Trump and Elon Musk are jeopardizing those savings and could raise the national average annual house energy bills by up to 12 percent. These unlawful actions also put at risk more than 350,000 jobs that support energy production across the country so our nation can become less reliant on foreign energy. Hardworking people are already living paycheck to paycheck. Their biggest concern is the cost of living, but now Trump and Republicans are raising their bills in order to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.”

“I have deep concerns regarding the Department of Energy’s recent unlawful actions to halt programs that are imperative to the Department’s mission of ensuring America’s security and prosperity by addressing the nation’s energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions,” said Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Ranking Member Marcy Kaptur. “Actions to halt these programs will immediately contribute to rising energy costs for families and businesses, and are a dereliction of the Department’s responsibility to carry out duly enacted spending laws. An unelected Billionaire who made his vast fortune off government contracts should not be able to unilaterally stop these programs, and take money out of the pockets of Americans who need it most. We need the Department of Energy to work with us — not against us — to lower energy costs and help create good-paying jobs, but at a bare minimum, we demand the Department to follow the law as intended.”

The fact sheets, linked above, follow Ranking Member Kaptur’s letter highlighting how the DOE’s Secretarial Order on January 20, 2025, froze all “procurement announcements and actions” and “funding actions.” Nearly all funding at DOE was illegally frozen, including from annual appropriations, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Courts intervened to stop the Trump Administration’s unlawful actions, but the President and his political appointees continued to flout the law, continuing their illegal funding freeze.

Joe Cullen