Federal Energy and Climate Funding

 

Updates and Resources

 

Disclaimer: This database was started on January 28, 2025 and is evolving and in progress. It is primarily for a California community audience. We do not provide legal guidance and cannot confirm the validity or accuracy of the information compiled below. You are welcome to add information in this google doc or email eecoordinator@civicwell.org.

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EPN: An Update – via email

“As of Friday, February 7, 2025, most IRA grantees could finally draw down funds, but as of yesterday (Monday, February 10, 2025) many folks were locked out again or their ASAP accounts were suspended. On Thursday and Friday, EPA issued internal memos calling for another pause in the disbursement of funds due to general concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse. These are unfounded and they are being challenged in court.”

Date Updated:

11/02/2025

Resource Type: Professional Opinion

ProPublica: The Courts Blocked Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze. Agencies Are Withholding Money Anyway

“On Monday, the judge overseeing that case, John J. McConnell Jr., did just that, ruling that the Trump administration had violated his restraining order by keeping funds frozen. He wrote that the government’s “broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds” was “likely unconstitutional” and that it must immediately restore funding across the board, unless it could show the court “a specific instance where they are acting in compliance with this order but otherwise withholding funds due to specific authority.”

Date Updated:

11/02/2025

Resource Type: Article

Compliant for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief

US District Court for the District of Columbia

(Plaintiffs: Alliance for Retired Americans, American Federation of Government Employees, Service Employees International Union)

Date Updated:

04/02/2025

Resource Type: Official Document

Temporary Restraining Order

US District Court for the District of Rhode Island

Date Updated:

31/01/2025

Resource Type: Official Document

Judge temporarily pauses Trump’s freeze on grants, loans

Reuters

“U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan ordered the Trump administration not to block funding to existing programs until Feb. 3 at a hearing in Washington, D.C., federal court.”

Date Updated:

28/01/2025

Resource Type: Article

House Ways and Means Committee Republicans Report

House Ways and Means Committee Republicans released the following report with potential cuts (*could indicate vulnerable programs related to reconciliation)

Date Updated:

28/01/2025

Resource Type: Official Document

OMB M-25-13

Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs

Date Updated:

27/01/2025

Resource Type: Official Document

A response letter

published by ranking members of the House Appropriations and Senate Appropriations Committees

Date Updated:

27/01/2025

Resource Type: Official Document

Learning and Guidance Opportunities
  • My Fed Trainer: “Ask us Anything” webinar – Friday, February 12, 2015
  • Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG): If you are a grantee or subawardee of a federal program through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) with legal questions about protecting your funds, please feel free to submit your question to L4GG. Visit the website to fill out L4GG’s intake form.
  • Environmental Protection Network
  • CCEC’s Local Energy Resources Network: Sign up for our LERN meetings where we will continue to bring in speakers and facilitate discussion and sharing to help us monitor the situation
  • National Grant Foundation: Information for Non-Profits Amid Federal Grant Suspensions
Opportunities for Action
  • Address the status of your drawdown
    • Check your agency drawdown portal 
    • If your funding is currently missing or suspended from ASAP or if you were otherwise denied a drawdown, it is important to document all of your efforts to legally draw down funding from your ASAP account and to build your administrative record. 
      • Email your Program Officer, now. You can use this email template, adding details relevant to your specific grant (including actual harm on the ground). If you have legal counsel, we recommend that you consult with them to help refine the email template and get tailored legal advice for your situation. For assistance, please reach out to EPN. 
      • AND, report that you are locked out by filling out Lawyers for Good Government’s fund protection clinic intake form so they can track this violation and reach out to you about potential next steps.
  • Contact your representatives
    • Make the most of your Senators and US Representatives being home around President’s Day.
    • Consider reaching out to your elected officials and educating them on the benefits your project will provide to their constituents and complement state investment, especially in terms of jobs, stimulating the economy, energy independence, decreased exposure to pollution, etc. 
    • Consider inviting them to visit your site/proposed site and/or meeting with partners. 
    • If you need pro bono assistance with this, reach out to: IRA@liletteadvisors.com.
  • Keep moving forward to stay in compliance
    • Some say the best way to “win” is to successfully implement your project. If you can, proceed with your work. This is highly dependent on your ability to take on the likelihood of slower reimbursement and risk. 
    • Make sure your finances are in order. If you are an EPA grant program awardee, or you know someone who is, please reach out to Kathy Pope at EPN for information on our February 12th, 1-2:30pm eastern, training on financial management. We will spend the first half on the training and the second half in breakout rooms by grant.
    • Review L4GG’s Guidance Brief for information on common questions associated with grants and tax credits and tips for how you can stay in compliance.
  • Once your access to funding has been restored, consider trying to get as much of your funding properly and legally drawn down as quickly as possible.
    • As always, make sure you are 100% clear on your award obligations and that you remain 100% in compliance.
    • Remember, for most grants, you will need to spend these funds within 5 days (payroll, purchases, etc.).
    • Do not draw down funds improperly. If you have questions about a potential drawdown, please reach out to Lawyers for Good Government.
  • If you are “in limbo” please make sure EPN knows!
    • For example, please tell us if you have been selected but have not received your award or your award was signed but not emailed to you. Consider contacting elected officials and tell them the value of these grant programs generally.
    • If you’re waiting to enter an agreement on an award, or were in the middle of finalizing documents, check the status of your award (check EPA), and contact EPN, they have folks that get provide support to get everything ready for when EPA opens things up again.
  • Gather stories of impacts from inability to drawdown funds (see below)
    • The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is actively tracking how any pause on federal funding is impacting Native communities. If your community is affected, please share your experiences and concerns by sending a confidential email to ▶️ oversight@indian.senate.gov
    • Fill out Lawyers for Good Government’s fund protection clinic intake form 
    • Climate Power
    • National Association of Nonprofits
    • Congressional Offices collecting reports of pauses in aid
  • Identify opportunities to connect and collaborate with coalition leaders positioned to file litigation
  • Reach out to your local and regional foundations and private donors to inquire about emergency funds to help weather a stopgap in funding
  • Check programs you’re tracking against this OMB list
Stories/Impacts Gathered