Trump’s Ministry of Energy targets California and other blue states for budget cuts

The efforts of the Trump administration to dismantle environmental protections and make progress back to the national level towards clean energy target California disproportionately and other blue states, according to internal documents.

From this week, the Ministry of Energy can withdraw the financing of hundreds of projects – many of which have been reinforced by the Bipartisan infrastructure law of President Biden and are intended for friendly climate initiatives such as solar energy, heat pumps, storage of batteries and renewable fuels, according to a disclosed list examined by The Times.

Cups could include up to 262 projects in the DEE energy efficiency and renewable energies office, of which around 80% are based in states that have not opted for Trump during the 2024 presidential election.

There are also nearly two dozen projects in the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, including a major national effort known as the Regional Program of Hybs Hydrogen (H2HUBS), which aims to accelerate the development of hydrogen projects which can replace fossil fuels rechuing the planet.

These cuts are also not equally applied: seven states and regions selected to participate in the federal hydrogen project of $ 7 billion, the four empty sets are mainly in democratic areas.

Hydrogen incubators on the list of cuts include a center in California; A Mid-Atlantic hub in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey; A Pacific Northwest Hub in Oregon, Washington and Montana; And a center of the Midwest in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

Meanwhile, hydrogen hubs in red states and regions are safe, shows the list, including a large center in Texas; A “Heartland” center in Minnesota, Northern Dakota and South Dakota; And an Appalachia hub in Ohio, Virginia-Western and Pennsylvania.

Officials of the Ministry of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

California was one of 33 candidates for the competitive initiative, which was launched in 2021 and finally selected seven “hubs” to develop and test various sources of hydrogen.

California HUB – known as arches, or the alliance for renewable clean hydrogen energy systems – received $ 1.2 billion in federal funds, with plans to report additional $ 11.2 billion from private investors.

But he is now faced with Trump’s DOE cuts despite the fact that the center was the most score candidate among those considered for the federal price, according to sources familiar with the issue.

The members of the Democratic Staff of the Chamber Science Committee who agreed to speak of context said that the results indicate that the cuts are of a partisan and ideological nature – a trend in accordance with the other actions of the Trump administration, which has repeatedly targeted environmental programs in California and other democratic areas in recent weeks.

Indeed, the cost alone does not seem to be a factor, since the Texas Hydrogen Hub has obtained the same amount of federal financing – $ 1.2 billion – as that of California, but the first was not on the list of cups. The projects of the two states were the most expensive of the hubs, which vary from around $ 750 million to $ 1.2 billion.

Total cuts from the DOE energy and renewable energy efficiency office amount to more than $ 905 million, with around $ 735 million from blue states and $ 169 million in red states, according to Times analysis.

The initiates have said that proportions do not reflect overall investments in clean energy by red and blue states, with republican states such as Texas – a clean energy juggernaut – faced with much fewer cuts from this office. According to the documents examined by the Times, only eight Texas projects are on the hash for 53 in California.

Employees of the Chamber Science Committee have warned that the disclosed lists represent a snapshot in time and that the administration could change its plans before making official announcements.

Already, they have said, some Republican representatives and leaders of private industry have managed to prevent the cancellation of certain projects. So far, none of their democratic counterparts has been able to do the same, they said.

Cups could have considerable implications for the country’s energy future.

The seven hydrogen centers had collectively produced 3 million metric tons of hydrogen each year – reducing 25 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, that is to say about the quantity of 5.5 million gas cars.

Each of the seven hubs experienced different sources of hydrogen, California, focused on the production of hydrogen exclusively from renewable energies and biomass while other centers worked with natural gas, nuclear energy and renewable sources such as wind and solar energy.

Arches officials said it could be weeks before they have more clarity on the situation.

“The arches remain determined to work with our partners to establish a secure, reliable and competitive hydrogen ecosystem, creating hundreds of thousands of well -remunerated jobs and offering substantial benefits and economic benefits for Californians,” said general manager Angelina Galiteva in a press release. “We have nothing to share at the moment.”

Hydrogen is not without controversy either. Critics have expressed their concern that hydrogen production is at high intensity of water and energy, potentially dangerous for transport and costly.

Supporters say that it fills a key difference that electrification alone cannot cover, especially for heavy industries such as manufacturing and transport.

Arches planned to finance at least 37 small projects in California and the surroundings, including efforts to decarbonize the port of Los Angeles, as well as plans to install more than 60 hydrogen supply stations in the state.

The status of these projects is not clear.

The president – who received record donations from fossil fuel companies during his campaign – has targeted what he describes as “environmental extremists, madmen, radicals and thugs” in recent weeks, promising to strengthen coal production, increase oil drilling and block California’s efforts to go to electric vehicles, among other actions.