The Trump administration has frozen spending, loans, and actions at the Department of Energy as part of a sweeping review to align its activities with the president’s priorities, according to a Jan. 20 memo obtained by Bloomberg. Acting Secretary Ingrid Kolb directed a halt on grants, funding, rule publications, and personnel moves until reviewed for consistency with administration goals, including budgetary considerations.
The freeze affects the department’s $50 billion budget, which includes $41.2 billion in conditional loan commitments, nuclear waste cleanup, and energy technology commercialization. The memo underscores Trump’s push to dismantle climate-focused initiatives from the Biden era, favoring fossil fuels and budgetary restraint. Similar freezes were also issued by the Interior Department targeting renewable energy projects on federal lands and waters.