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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: The U.S. Department of Energy under the Trump administration has cancelled $3.7 billion in grants for 24 projects focused on decarbonization and carbon capture and storage (CCS)
• The move primarily affects initiatives launched during the final months of the Biden administration, including high-profile projects by ExxonMobil, Eastman Chemical, and major cement manufacturers
• Energy Secretary Chris Wright cited the need for better financial oversight and return on taxpayer investment as justification
🔭 The context: CCS has been one of the few climate strategies with bipartisan support in the U.S., often favored by Republicans as a way to reduce emissions without abandoning fossil fuels
• While the Inflation Reduction Act preserved CCS tax incentives, this new wave of cancellations reflects a broader rollback of clean energy support under the Trump administration
The action follows a department-wide audit of $15 billion in federal clean tech funding
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The cancellation affects key technologies vital for decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like cement, plastics, and food manufacturing
Halting these projects may delay industrial emissions reductions and hinder progress toward net-zero goals
It also risks undermining private sector confidence in public funding reliability for large-scale climate solutions
⏭️ What's next: Expect legal and political pushback from affected companies, states, and climate advocates
Lawmakers may seek increased transparency on the grant evaluations and pressure the administration to reinstate or reallocate funds
Businesses may reassess U.S. investment plans, while international competitors gain ground in low-carbon industrial innovation
Congressional scrutiny is likely in the coming months, especially regarding the grant termination criteria
💬 One quote: “Locking domestic plants into outdated technology is not a recipe for future competitiveness or bringing manufacturing jobs back to American communities,” — Steven Nadel, Executive Director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
📈 One stat: $2.3 billion of the cancelled funds — over 60% — were earmarked for carbon capture projects, according to Clean Air Task Force data
Click for more news covering the latest on carbon capture & storage
