Following the start of the government shutdown at the beginning of the month, the Trump administration canceled projects nationwide, such as those related to clean energy that had previously been approved under the Biden administration. Approximately 16 states, all where voters chose Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, saw 223 clean energy projects. These projects amounted to nearly $7.6 billion in grants. The announcement came Oct. 2, the day after the government shutdown commenced, from the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought.
Vought said in an X (Twitter) post, “Nearly $8 billion in Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left’s climate agenda is being cancelled.” Of the 223 projects that were cancelled, 12 were in Connecticut for a total of $52.9 million. The eight companies that were affected included, among others, RTX Corporation with four projects, Karpman Consulting LLC with two, and Mott Corporation, which had the largest grant at $10 million for a water electrolysis efficiency project in Farmington.
Some of the other innovative projects cancelled included one that had hydrogen power gas turbines, software projects relating to building codes and storm forecasts, and electricity production from solid oxide fuel cells. FuelCell Energy, which oversees the electricity production from solid oxide fuel cells projects in Danbury, however, promised that their project is not in danger because it is nearly complete, according to spokesperson Kathleen Blomquist in a CT Mirror article.
All five of Connecticut’s congressional districts were hit by cancellations with the 1st Congressional District represented by John Larson seeing the most cancellations, with four out of 12 projects. In a press release, Larson demanded that U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright reinstate all the projects that had been defunded and accused the Trump administration of targeting political enemies.
“This funding was approved by Congress, and for many projects, work on the ground is already complete,” said Larson in the press release. “The Trump Administration doesn’t want to lower costs – they want to stoke division by punishing their political enemies, even at the expense of American innovation, global leadership, and millions of taxpayer dollars. Their top budget official even bragged on social media about canceling projects in blue states. Stop these childish games and reinstate these funds now.”
Rosa DeLauro, who represents Connecticut’s 3rd Congressional District, had a similar response and said, “Terminating critical energy projects in Democratic states weaponizes policy for political revenge and will only drive energy bills higher, increase unemployment, and eliminate jobs. It is reckless and betrays both common sense and public trust.”
Her district also had a project grant for Proton Energy Systems Inc. cancelled. Within the Senate, Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal fired back in a letter written to Wright that said: “These projects were supporting lower energy prices, grid reliability, and American energy independence. Cancelling them – in a manner that is illogical, chaotic, and illegal – will only result in increased energy costs, less electricity reliability, and more pollution, hurting the American people.”
The U.S. Department of Energy allows for a 30-day window for appeals to the grant cancellations.
