Court says Trump illegally blocked clean energy grants to Democratic states

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Adam HancockJanuary 13, 2026 at 06:21 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

In 2026, a US district judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally blocked $7.6 billion in clean energy grants to states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Judge Amit Mehta stated the decision violated the Constitution's equal protection requirements, as the administration admitted to basing grant terminations on whether a state's citizens voted for Trump. The grants were intended for clean energy projects, including battery plants and hydrogen technology, across 16 states like California and Colorado. The Trump administration cancelled the projects in October during a government shutdown, with officials stating the cuts targeted the "Left's climate agenda." The cancelled funding included significant amounts for hydrogen technology hubs in California and the Pacific Northwest.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

One America News (OAN) 30% Office of Management and Budget 40% New Jersey 50% Colorado 50% Washington state 50% California ×260% Russell Vought 60% Democratic Party 70% Amit Mehta ×270% Kamala Harris 70% United States ×280% Donald Trump ×590%

Keywords

clean energy grants 100% illegal blocking 80% democratic states 70% equal protection 60% hydrogen technology 50% government shutdown 40% climate agenda 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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clean energy grants illegal blocking democratic states equal protection hydrogen technology government shutdown climate agenda

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