Trump admin ends clean energy grants, freezes New York funding

The Trump administration on Wednesday moved to terminate hundreds of federal awards for clean energy projects and to freeze nearly $18 billion in New York infrastructure funding, actions officials said followed the start of a government shutdown and resulted from an internal review of recent grant awards. The Department of Energy said it would end 321 financial awards backing 223 projects, producing roughly $7.6 billion in savings, and the Department of Transportation announced a pause on funds for two major New York transit projects while it conducts a legal and administrative review.

The Energy Department said the terminations affect projects overseen by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy after a review found some awards did not adequately advance national energy needs or offer a positive return on taxpayer dollars. The agency did not release a list of affected projects but confirmed recipients have 30 days to appeal termination decisions and that some appeals have already begun.

Among the projects identified by federal and state officials was a $600 million grant awarded last year to a consortium that included...