State and federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are imploring Energy Secretary Chris Wright to protect certain clean energy projects. At the federal level, Senate Democrats want a copy of the “hit list” of projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act that the Department of Energy is reportedly compiling at the request of the Trump administration. Meanwhile, certain Republican state legislators are asking him to continue funding major hydrogen projects, which also appear to be at risk.
In a letter addressed to Energy Secretary Chris Wright yesterday, the group of 27 Democratic senators said they were “deeply troubled” by the apparent attempt to “wipe out” clean energy projects that are inconsistent with President Trump’s priorities.
“You assured us during your confirmation hearing that you believe that legal agreements should be honored (including managing the financial commitments you have inherited) and that you will follow the law,” the senators told Wright. “Indiscriminately canceling program funding and executed contracts and refusing to execute on the funding directives Congress enacted neither honors existing agreements nor is consistent with the spending laws that have appropriated funding for specific purposes.”
Cancellation of loans and grants will ultimately harm American consumers, the letter continued, via increased energy prices and a less secure grid, and will hold back energy innovation.
“If the Department has a policy disagreement and does not want to spend money on programs Congress has funded, the lawful response is to ask Congress to rescind that funding,” it continued. “The decision ultimately rests with Congress, not with the President, the Department of Energy, or the Department of Government Efficiency.”
The so-called “hit list” reportedly includes a wide range of projects, but those operated by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations appear particularly at risk, based on drafts of the list reviewed by E&E News. OCED was officially established in late 2021 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and manages over $20 billion in federal investments geared at getting first-of-a-kind projects upland running.
An initial draft of the “hit list” reportedly targeted the office’s $7 billion portfolio of carbon management projects (which includes the Direct Air Capture Hubs), its $8 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs, $6.3 billion industrial demonstrations program, and $500 million long duration energy storage demonstrations.
A group of 16 Republican state legislators in Washington also wrote to Wright this week, urging him to continue funding for the hydrogen hubs, particularly the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub — which was projected to create more than 10,000 jobs in the region, and which is expecting $1 billion from the federal government.
That letter, framed around Trump administration keywords including “energy dominance and global competitiveness” and “American energy abundance,” pointed to the energy demands of data centers in the region, and the support of multinationals like Amazon for the hub.
“This is an essential moment for American technology leadership, and the Pacific Northwest hydrogen economy will be a critical factor in its success,” the lawmakers wrote. “We encourage you to support the continuation of all the H2 Hubs, but especially the PNWH2 hub, to help America retain its energy dominance.”
