Epa Chief Says He Will Seek Return Of 20 Billion In Clean-energy Grants Awarded By Biden

In a major reversal, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said he will try to rescind 20 billion in grants awarded by the Biden administration for climate and clean-energy projects.

In a video posted on X , Administrator Lee Zeldin said the EPA would revoke contracts for a still-emerging "green bank" that is set to fund tens of thousands of projects to fight climate change and promote environmental justice.

The program, approved under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, is formally known as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund , but is more commonly called the green bank. Two initiatives, worth 14 billion and 6 billion respectively, are intended to offer competitive grants to nonprofits, community development banks and other groups for projects with a focus on disadvantaged communities.

The program is a favorite of Democrats who passed President Joe Biden's signature climate law without a single Republican vote, and former EPA Administrator Michael Regan frequently cited it as one of his major accomplishments.

Republicans in Congress have called the green bank a 'slush fund" and voiced concern over how the money will be used and whether there will be sufficient accountability and transparency. The Republican-controlled House approved a bill last year to repeal the green bank and other parts of Biden's climate agenda. The bill was blocked in the Democratic-controlled Senate.