Oklahoma Unaffected by Federal Energy Award Cancellations
Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the cancellation of more than 300 Department of Energy financial awards made under the Biden administration. None of the canceled projects were located in Oklahoma.
The state, which typically leans Republican in presidential elections, did not receive any of the original awards. Last week’s action terminated 321 financial awards supporting 223 projects. The department said 26% of those awards were made between Election Day and Inauguration Day—valued at more than $3.1 billion.
Wright said the move saves taxpayers about $7.56 billion.
Wright Cites Review and Lack of Viability
In his announcement, Wright said a detailed financial review showed many projects failed to meet U.S. energy goals or basic business standards.
“The Energy Department began reviewing billions of dollars in rushed awards that lacked documentation,” he said.
“President Trump promised to protect taxpayer dollars and strengthen America’s reliable energy supply. These cancellations deliver on that promise.”
The canceled awards came from several DOE offices, including:
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Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED)
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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
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Grid Deployment (GDO)
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Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC)
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Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
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Fossil Energy (FE)
Recipients Can Appeal the Decision
According to Wright’s memo, award recipients have 30 days to appeal their termination. Some projects have already started that process.
DOE officials said the review process will continue to ensure “every dollar works for the American people.”
Impact by State
The decision hits Democratic-leaning states hardest.
New Mexico lost eight projects, while Colorado saw 28 awards canceled, including large renewable and transmission initiatives.
Critics had previously labeled those awards as “political rewards” tied to federal energy agendas.
A report from Latitude Media showed the Grid Deployment Office alone canceled 25 awards, including $464 million from the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program.
Those projects would have supported transmission studies for five high-voltage power lines spanning seven states—Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
What’s Next for Oklahoma
Because Oklahoma received no awards from the prior administration, the state will see no direct financial impact from these terminations.
Still, energy officials are watching closely as future DOE funding priorities shift toward infrastructure resilience and traditional energy development.
