The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the termination of 321 financial awards supporting 223 projects, resulting in an estimated savings of $7.56 billion for taxpayers. The decision follows a detailed review process that found these projects did not sufficiently support national energy goals, were not economically viable, and would not yield a positive return on taxpayer investment.
The terminated awards came from several DOE offices, including Clean Energy Demonstrations, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Grid Deployment, Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, and Fossil Energy.
Secretary Wright stated: “On day one, the Energy Department began the critical task of reviewing billions of dollars in financial awards, many rushed through in the final months of the Biden administration with inadequate documentation by any reasonable business standard. President Trump promised to protect taxpayer dollars and expand America’s supply of affordable, reliable, and secure energy. Today’s cancellation’s deliver on that commitment. Rest assured, the Energy Department will continue reviewing awards to ensure that every dollar works for the American people.”
Of the canceled awards, 26%—worth over $3.1 billion—were granted between Election Day and Inauguration Day.
In May 2025, Secretary Wright issued a memorandum titled “Ensuring Responsibility for Financial Assistance,” which set new guidelines for evaluating financial awards. The policy allows program offices to request more information from recipients and requires case-by-case reviews to prevent waste and safeguard taxpayer funds while advancing national security objectives.
DOE used this framework to assess each award’s economic viability as well as its impact on national security and energy security before making termination decisions.
Award recipients have 30 days to appeal if their project is canceled; some have already started this process.
