Trump admin may cut energy projects in blue states, but keep them in red states

• The Trump administration is reportedly considering cutting funding for hydrogen energy projects in Democratic-led states while maintaining support for similar initiatives in Republican-led states. An internal list from the Department of Energy suggests four hydrogen hubs in blue states could lose funding while three in red states receive the same support.
• The list also includes cuts worth about $800 million in other renewable energy projects, such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, wind turbines, solar panels and hydropower programs.
• The Energy Department has not confirmed the list, but any cuts could face legal challenges under the Impoundment Control Act, which restricts the withholding of congressionally approved funds.

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The Trump administration is reportedly considering canceling funds for multiple major energy projects in mostly left-leaning states while continuing similar initiatives in another group of states that are almost entirely right-leaning. This comes according to an internal list of potential spending cuts from the Department of Energy (DOE), obtained by Politico.

Which states could lose hydrogen project funding?

The DOE’s alleged list suggests defunding four hydrogen power hubs that would collectively serve Democratic-led states, including California, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware and New Jersey.

Meanwhile, the agency reportedly plans to continue supporting three other hydrogen hubs that would provide power to Republican-led states such as Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Louisiana.

All of these projects were initially funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allocated $7 billion toward developing clean hydrogen fuel technologies. The goal of these projects is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in industries that are traditionally challenging to decarbonize, such as fertilizer production, steel manufacturing and electricity generation.

Some of the hubs facing potential funding cuts are powered primarily by renewable or nuclear energy, while those set to continue receiving support rely on natural gas.

Are these further cuts by Trump?

Additionally, the Politico report claims the internal DOE list includes broader cuts of about $800 million in renewable energy projects, such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, wind turbines, solar panels and hydropower initiatives.

However, an Energy Department spokesperson declined to confirm the existence of such a list. The spokesperson stated that a department-wide review is ongoing to ensure all energy initiatives align with the administration’s goal of “restoring affordable, reliable and secure energy to the American people.”

They also emphasized that any reports on the review’s findings are speculative at this stage.

What happens next?

If the administration proceeds with these proposed cuts, it may face legal challenges under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. This measure restricts the executive branch from withholding funds that Congress has approved. The law was previously cited by a U.S. District Court to block an earlier attempt by the Trump administration to freeze federal funds.