Trump administration to audit billions in energy grants awarded under Biden

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Trump administration to audit billions in energy grants awarded under Biden

Timothy Gardner
Thu, May 15, 2025 at 2:35 PM EDT·2 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration said on Thursday it will audit some $15 billion in grants to power grid and manufacturing supply chain projects awarded during the Biden administration.

President Donald Trump has championed domestic production of oil, natural gas and coal while halting construction of an offshore wind farm and taking steps to ease regulations on fossil fuels. The Republican Trump administration last week proposed cutting billions of dollars in funding for projects including renewable energy and electric car chargers.

The DOE "has been hard at work reviewing the billions of dollars that were rushed out the door, particularly in the final days of the Biden administration, and what we have found is concerning," Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.

Democratic former President Joe Biden's Energy Department awarded billions of dollars in grants from the offices of grid deployment and manufacturing and energy supply chains.

-snip-

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/news/trump-administration-audit-billions-energy-183541136.html

[progree]

1. Nuclear subsidies are also on the chopping block in the Republican House bill

Nuclear power ‘dead in its tracks’ with House GOP tax bill, advocates warn, Washington Examiner, 5/15/25
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/nuclear-power-dead-in-its-tracks-with-house-gop-tax-bill-advocates-warn/ar-AA1EQC0i

If the phase-out of tax credits stays, the article says no SMRs (small modular reactors) would qualify because the bill requires that they be completed by 2031, and none are expected to be by then. And AFAIK there aren't any nukes of any kind under construction in the U.S. that will be online before 2032, so the only ones that would get subsidies would be ones like Palisade that are being restarted or that are operating already. 3 Mile Island? Duane Arnold? V.C. Summer?

additionally there is a phase-out period ending in 2031 ... the subsidy is reduced year by year.

Article says this isn't likely to pass in the Senate as there are some Republican senators opposed to the phase outs of the tax credits, and because of the very thin Republican majority, they need all Republicans on board whatever bill in order for it to pass. The bill is ultimately intended to be passed as budget reconciliation, and thus filibuster-proof, so it will only take a simple majority, but with more than one or two Republican senator no votes (or whatever the number is), it would fail to pass unless some Democrats vote for it.

I know the Washington Examiner is a horrible source, but on this particular issue I'm guessing their story is reasonably accurate, but maybe not.