Overview
- A Department of Energy court filing dated July 15 says the 284 grants canceled in October amounted to about $7.5–$7.6 billion and were chosen “based solely” on whether recipients were located in states that voted for Kamala Harris in 2024.
- The filing says DOE originally recommended more than 600 terminations but the Office of Management and Budget narrowed the list to 284 that were overwhelmingly in Democratic‑leaning states, while similar proposals in Republican states were left intact.
- The admission appears to contradict public statements by Energy Secretary Chris Wright that politics did not drive the review, a point DOE disputes by distinguishing its internal review from the White House selection.
- Lawsuits by University of California researchers and other awardees are active, earlier court rulings have found some terminations improper, and the new disclosure has prompted calls for investigations from congressional Democrats.
- The cuts halted projects including grid upgrades, hydrogen hubs, methane reduction and battery and carbon‑capture work, raising concerns about delayed jobs, local infrastructure impacts and broader risks if OMB’s proposed rule expands political oversight of federal grants.