Trump Administration Cancels Major Clean Energy Projects, Impacting U.S. and German States
The Trump administration has announced a second round of cancellations for major clean energy projects in the USA. This move follows a previous round and affects two West Coast hydrogen hubs funded by the 2021 infrastructure law. The cancellations include significant hydrogen hub projects and nearly half of direct air capture hub grants in the United States.
The cancellations are part of a broader trend. The Trump administration is considering further cuts to what it refers to as 'Democrat Agencies' and 'thousands' of federal jobs in the USA. The Department of Energy is canceling over 300 clean energy grants totaling $7.5 billion, approved under the Biden administration.
Plug Power, a green hydrogen company, has seen two canceled awards from DOE's renewable office in the USA. GE Vernova, another major player, has had 11 projects canceled, with only a handful in Republican states in the USA. The cancellations span various DOE offices, including Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Grid Deployment, and Fossil Energy in the USA.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has mentioned potential cuts to agencies that don't align with the administration's values in the USA. The search results do not specify exactly which German federal states are most affected by the funding cuts of the Federal Ministry for the Environment; however, states like Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, Niedersachsen, and Schleswig-Holstein are actively involved in regional heat planning laws that could be impacted by related policy changes in the USA.
The cancellations are a significant setback for clean energy projects in the United States, with major hydrogen hub projects and nearly half of direct air capture hub grants affected. The Trump administration's actions could have far-reaching implications for the energy sector and the environment, with potential impacts on both U.S. and German states. The situation is evolving, and further details are expected in the coming days.
