EPA’s Reckless Move to Halt Clean Energy Grants
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Lee Zeldin, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, announced that the agency would cancel $20 billion of contracts that are poised to deliver unprecedented clean energy upgrades to homes, businesses, schools, and churches across the nation.
In just its first months of operation, these investments in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund are already paying off, beginning to bring electricity to remote Alaskan communities; deploy solar projects across Arkansas; upgrade the heat in drafty old homes; and build new housing with on-site preschool in urban Texas.
The following is a comment from Adam Kent, director of green finance at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“If the Trump administration really cared about lowering energy bills, creating jobs, addressing the budget deficit and growing the American economy, it would be leaning into this program, not cancelling legal contracts.”
“Don’t fall for this misdirection: Cancelling these contracts will mean higher energy bills for families, fewer new job opportunities, and more pollution in our communities. It also undermines the credibility of the U.S. government as a reliable financial partner.
“Congress approved these investments in clean energy in order to provide an economic boost for low-income, rural, and Tribal communities. Those needs have only grown because of this administration’s disastrous policies. This program is also one of the savviest investments the federal government could make: Every federal dollar can deliver an additional seven dollars of private investment.
“The Trump administration is literally in court today over its previous dubious efforts to upend this program—and now it is doubling down: trying to take money promised to improve the lives of working people to fund tax cuts for billionaires. It’s shocking, but very on-brand.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).