Energy Department watchdog will audit Trump's cuts of nearly $8B in clean energy grants

An internal watchdog in the U.S. Department of Energy will investigate the Trump administration’s termination of $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects across 16 states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

The move is especially welcome for Democrats who said that the cuts — part of broader attacks from President Donald Trump on climate programs and clean energy funding — would slash projects boosting the electric grid, threaten thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs, and send Americans’ energy costs soaring.

Sarah Nelson, assistant inspector general for the Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General, said in a letter to members of Congress on Wednesday that the audit of the canceled funds will review “whether those cancellations were in accordance with established criteria.”

“This work will help ensure that these activities are conducted consistently with applicable laws, regulations, and Departmental policies and procedures,” Nelson added.

The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.