DOE admits OMB canceled 284 clean energy grants solely to punish political opponents

Published Jul 27, 01:45 PM UTC

The Department of Energy (DOE) has admitted that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) canceled 284 clean energy grants based solely on the political identity of the recipient states, targeting only states that voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and had two Democratic-caucusing senators. The admission came in a July 15 stipulation in the case Thakur v. Trump, filed by University of California researchers. DOE Principal Deputy General Counsel Jeff Novak confirmed that the OMB's selection was not based on programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factors, and that 340 grants involving Trump-voting states or states with Republican senators were left untouched. The OMB's actions were part of cost-cutting measures under the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency. The admission contradicts Energy Secretary Chris Wright's earlier denial of political motivation.