Climate grant recipients push forward despite EPA efforts to reclaim funds
A coalition of nonprofits says it will proceed with distributing $539 million in federal climate grants, despite the Trump administration’s attempts to revoke the funding.
Zack Colman reports for POLITICO.
In short:
- Power Forward Communities, a coalition of five nonprofits, received a $2 billion grant under the Biden administration to support energy-efficient housing projects.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin is trying to recover the funds, calling the grants “waste and abuse” and pushing Citibank, where $20 billion was deposited after being allocated for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, to return the money.
- Critics argue the EPA's effort to take back the money is politically motivated, as the grants were contractually obligated before Trump took office, and a federal prosecutor resigned over alleged pressure to investigate the program without evidence of wrongdoing.
Key quote:
“When the EPA made a grant to us and grants to other awardees, there’s an official contract that the government enters into. The agreement has not been terminated, and we have an obligation to fulfill it.”
— Tim Mayopoulos, CEO of Power Forward Communities
Why this matters:
The dispute over the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund highlights the broader fight over climate policy and federal spending. Power Forward’s planned projects could improve energy efficiency, lower housing costs, and create jobs in rural and low-income communities. The Trump administration’s efforts to claw back the grants raise questions about the stability of federal climate funding and the future of green infrastructure investment.
Learn more: Trump moves swiftly to dismantle U.S. climate policies, a legacy that could long outlast his presidency
