U.S. energy projects in blue states to be cut, including in California

Trump administration official Russell Vought says about $8 billion in funding will end.

- BY HAYLEY SMITH

RUSSELL Vought directs the White House's Office of Management and Budget.

(MARIAM ZUHAIB Associated Press)

The Trump administration on Wednesday said it will cut billions of dollars in funding for energy projects in Democratic states — including California's massive effort to develop clean hydrogen energy.

"Nearly $8 billion in Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left's climate agenda is being canceled," said Russell Vought, director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget, in a post on X.

"The projects are in the following states: CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, IL, MD, MA, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA," Vought said.

All 16 states listed did not vote for Trump in the 2024 election.

In a news release, the Department of Energy confirmed that it had terminated more than 300 financial awards associated with 223 projects, amounting to $7.56 billion. The department did not specify the project names or locations, but said the awards had been issued by multiple offices, including the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and the Office Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

California officials said the state's hydrogen hub, the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems, or ARCHES, was among the cuts. The hub had received $1.2 billion in federal grant funding from the Biden administration as part of a competitive nationwide effort to develop hydrogen projects that can replace planet-warming fossil fuels.