Pelosi, California Delegation Members Call for Investigation into Trump Administration Slashing $7 Billion in Energy Grants

Washington, D.C. —  Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi joined Senator Adam Schiff,  Senator Alex Padilla and 27 members of the California congressional delegation in urging the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Inspector General to launch an independent investigation into the unlawful termination of $7.6 billion in grants to California and other states targeted for their perceived lack of support for President Trump.  

The cancelling of these funds threatens thousands of jobs across energy, construction, and manufacturing sectors and could pass higher energy costs along to California residents.

“DOE does not have the authority to ignore the law, and Congress did not provide DOE with the discretion to terminate awards based on nebulous new criteria created by the Secretary years after enactment of the statute that funded and provided direction for these projects,” wrote the lawmakers. 

In a letter to DOE’s Acting Inspector General Sarah Nelson, the lawmakers note that no state was hit harder than California. Out of the 321 terminated awards, DOE cancelled 79 awards in California, totaling more than $2 billion of federally funded projects. Among the projects was a backup battery power for a children’s hospital in Madera and an award worth $1.2 billion for the ARCHES hydrogen hub which had garnered bipartisan public support. 

“These 321 grant project terminations will have real effects on affordability for our constituents and on the nation’s competitiveness. In the last year, electricity prices have increased twice as fast as the overall cost of living. Secretary Wright and the Trump administration’s decision to take $7.56 billion in energy projects offline is going to further constrain supply and send Americans’ electric bills through the roof,” the lawmakers continued. 

The full text of the letter can be found HERE.