An internal watchdog within the U.S. Department of Energy will conduct an investigation into the Trump administration's decision to terminate $7.6 billion in grants for clean energy projects across 16 states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. This investigation is particularly significant for Democrats, who argue that these cuts, part of a broader strategy by President Donald Trump against climate initiatives, threaten thousands of jobs in manufacturing and construction and could lead to increased energy costs for consumers.

The Department's legal representatives confirmed in a recent court filing, responding to a lawsuit from several clean energy organizations and the city of St. Paul regarding the canceled funding, that the selection of grants was influenced by the political affiliations of the states involved. This contradicts earlier claims from the Energy Department that partisanship did not play a role in the funding cuts.

Sarah Nelson, the acting inspector general for the Energy Department, stated in a letter to Congress that the audit will assess whether the cancellations adhered to established criteria. The Department of Energy had previously announced the termination of 321 funding awards across 223 projects, claiming that these projects did not sufficiently advance national energy needs or provide a positive return on taxpayer investment.

The cuts affected states including California, Colorado, and New York, all of which supported Harris in the election. California was particularly impacted, losing over $1 billion designated for a hydrogen hub. In response to these actions, more than two dozen Democratic members of Congress, led by California Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, requested a formal investigation, arguing that the cuts were based on partisan criteria and suggesting unlawful bias. They emphasized that the funding originated from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed under President Biden, asserting that the Department lacked the authority to terminate these awards, which could harm American citizens.