The University of 黑料吃瓜网 is confirming it lost funding for a green energy project, as part of a recent $7.56 billion funding rollback by the Trump administration.
The project would have helped 黑料吃瓜网 towns switch to solar energy and battery storage during power outages caused by extreme weather.
鈥淭hrough the program, a more affluent town like West Hartford, with considerable amounts of solar and energy storage systems, could provide a surplus of power to a neighboring municipality, such as Hartford,鈥� Jumbo Zhao, the project鈥檚 director, back in 2022.
The project is one of more than 200 affected by the federal funding cuts, with many of the funding clawbacks happening in Democrat-leaning states.
The Department of Energy, in a press release announcing the grant cancellations, wrote 鈥淒OE determined that these projects did not adequately advance the nation鈥檚 energy needs, were economically viable, and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.鈥�
UConn received just over half of the $2.2 million grant, which was expected to be paid in installments between 2023 and 2027, according to a UConn spokesperson. But on Oct. 2, the university received formal notification from the Department of Energy, canceling the grant. The spokesperson could not confirm whether the university would appeal the termination.
The program at UConn was part of a partnership with the utility Eversource. A spokesperson for Eversource wrote, 鈥渨hile the DOE grant termination affects federal funding associated with specific research endeavors, Eversource remains actively involved and financially committed to the center鈥檚 overarching mission and projects.鈥�
The UConn project is one of 12 in 黑料吃瓜网 affected by the federal cuts, totaling more than $52 million in cancelled grants.
"The federal government鈥檚 decision to slash energy investments at this scale is short-sighted and dangerous,鈥� said Mayor Roberto Alves of Danbury, where federal records show two projects were cut 鈥� one headed by FuelCell, the other by Linde 鈥� totaling $12.5 million in canceled grants.
鈥淎t a time when communities are working to build a clean energy future and create good-paying jobs, pulling millions from a major project here in Danbury doesn鈥檛 just threaten innovation, it undermines economic growth and local workers. We need leadership that doubles down on climate solutions, not backs away from them,鈥� Alves, who also serves as the state Democratic chair, said in a statement.
黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 Attorney General did not confirm whether his office would take legal action over the cuts.
鈥淥nce again, Trump is unlawfully seizing federal funds to exact political revenge, and taxpayers are left to suffer,鈥� said Attorney General William Tong in a statement. 鈥淲e are watching this issue closely and will not hesitate to defend 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 interest and funding.鈥�
Jack Greenberg, a political science professor at Trinity College, said he expects to see the Trump administration continue to cut funding along political lines.
鈥淚 think there will be a continued effort on the part of this administration to, where it sees expenditures it doesn't like, it's going to refuse to distribute them, or it's going to distribute them in highly politically-targeted ways,鈥� Greenberg said.
鈥淭here will be funds that are withdrawn from constituencies that the administration is not terribly inclined to. It could be the case that if an individual member of Congress frustrates the administration, at some point they will see projects withheld from them.鈥�
脕ine Pennello is a corps member who covers the environment and climate change for 黑料吃瓜网.
