Trump executive order could block $38 million of clean energy projects in Kansas City
Executive actions signed by President Donald Trump have put a hold on $38 million in grants that Kansas City was counting on to pay for electrical vehicle charging stations and other clean energy programs.
Mayor Quinton Lucas sent an email to city council members on Thursday informing them that the orders affected funding on three programs that were administered by former President Joe Biden’s administration and authorized by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Trump’s actions throw into doubt the future of the funding, which Kansas City officials have trumpeted as part of their clean energy efforts.
Trump froze funding from an $18 million grant Kansas City was awarded to install solar panels on the homes of 3,500 low-income residents and to continue bulk purchasing of that equipment for all homeowners.
One key element of that program known as Solarize KC is job training for the workers hired to install the panels, Lucas said in his email, a copy of which was obtained by The Star.
Another $9 million in grant funding was aimed at helping local building owners make their properties more energy efficient.
Also delayed is an $11.8 million grant announced just this month that would pay for installing 275 new charging stations for electric vehicles at more than 50 sites across the city. Lucas said the project would provide job training for 1,300 local residents.
“As of this morning Kansas City has $38 million subject to delay under recent executive action,” Lucas told the council.
“The President has suspended for 90 days all Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 funding disbursements. Federal agencies now have 90 days to submit reviews and spending recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget and National Economic Council.”
Hours after taking office on Monday, Trump signed an executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas production and thwarting past federal clean energy efforts. The order – “Unleashing American Energy” – directs federal officials to halt disbursements of funds under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
“The President will unleash American energy by ending Biden’s policies of climate extremism, streamlining permitting, and reviewing for rescission all regulations that impose undue burdens on energy production and use, including mining and processing of non-fuel minerals,” the White House said.
It’s unclear whether the orders will result in temporary delays or whether the new administration will be able to stop Kansas City from ever spending the money it was promised by the Biden administration.
“I think it’s un-American for the president to do this,” said U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat. “In our community, we’re talking about money that’s been approved – tens of millions of dollars have been approved by Congress.”
While Cleaver said grant recipients normally have to clear hurdles with federal agencies before getting the go ahead to spend that money, he said he believed the Kansas City projects had gone through an approval process that he believes would hold up in court.
Even if the executive order is challenged, it could make accessing the money difficult.
“It’s going to do damage to many of the projects we have planned, including some of the projects business leaders were counting on and Republican constituents,” Cleaver said.
But Rep. Mark Alford, a Republican who represents suburban and rural areas east and south of Kansas City, said he supports the administration’s effort to claw back unspent grant money to reduce the federal deficit and pay for other priorities, such as to support the crop insurance program.
Much of it was promised in the waning days of Biden’s term, he said.
“They started trying to spend this money as fast as they could. I think that’s wrong,” Alford said. “If we can identify these monies in the Inflation Reduction Act that has not already gone out the door, we should be using that to try to reduce our deficit by spending it on things that are wise.”
Cleaver acknowledged that Democrats attempted to get as many projects approved as possible before Biden left the White House.
“If people want to say we were hustling to get money out the door, absolute truth. I’m a witness,” Cleaver said. “And my regret is not having gotten more out.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 1:54 PM.
