The University of Connecticut 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 Connecticut towns switch to solar energy and battery storage during power outages caused by extreme weather.
“Through 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,” Jumbo Zhao, the project’s director, told UConn Today 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 “DOE determined that these projects did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs, were economically viable, and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.”
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, “while the DOE grant termination affects federal funding associated with specific research endeavors, Eversource remains actively involved and financially committed to the center’s overarching mission and projects.”
The UConn project is one of 12 in Connecticut affected by the federal cuts, totaling more than $52 million in cancelled grants.
"The federal government’s decision to slash energy investments at this scale is short-sighted and dangerous,” said Mayor Roberto Alves of Danbury, where federal records show two projects were cut – one headed by FuelCell, the other by Linde – totaling $12.5 million in canceled grants.
“At 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’t just threaten innovation, it undermines economic growth and local workers. We need leadership that doubles down on climate solutions, not backs away from them,” Alves, who also serves as the state Democratic chair, said in a statement.
Connecticut’s Attorney General did not confirm whether his office would take legal action over the cuts.
“Once again, Trump is unlawfully seizing federal funds to exact political revenge, and taxpayers are left to suffer,” said Attorney General William Tong in a statement. “We are watching this issue closely and will not hesitate to defend Connecticut’s interest and funding.”
Jack Greenberg, a political science professor at Trinity College, said he expects to see the Trump administration continue to cut funding along political lines.
“I 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,” Greenberg said.
“There 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.”
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member who covers the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public.
