CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (October 2, 2025)—The Department of Energy today announced the termination of financial awards for 223 projects, totaling more than $7.5 billion. This funding was aimed at driving innovation on the frontiers of numerous areas of the clean energy transition including energy generation, grid infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. The cancellations will cost jobs, raise energy prices and undermine U.S. leadership on the development of cutting-edge technologies. Notably, in announcing these award terminations, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought explicitly named the political motivations underlying the administration’s award cancellations.
Below is a statement by Julie McNamara, associate policy director for the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
“Canceling funds for projects advancing the build out of a clean, efficient and more affordable energy system is wildly ill-conceived. These cuts will increase consumer costs, undermine grid reliability and deepen the nation’s overreliance on harmful fossil fuels. By also slashing support for research and innovation at the frontiers of advanced manufacturing and clean technologies, the Trump administration is hamstringing the country’s capacity to lead on the technologies and jobs of the future.
“And for what? The Trump administration has been explicit that these cancellations have nothing to do with acting in the best interests of this country and everything to do with satisfying partisan vindictiveness. Policymakers simply cannot allow such nakedly political actions to stand. These cancellations demand investigation and accountability.”