Amid a funding stalemate in Congress and a federal government shutdown, President Donald Trump’s planned termination of nearly $8 billion for energy projects primarily in states that didn’t vote for him includes $583 million in cuts for projects in Illinois.

Among those set to lose tens of millions of dollars in anticipated funding are power giant Exelon, the University of Illinois, the nonprofit Gas Technology Institute, which is based in Des Plaines, and a handful of other entities in Illinois, according to congressional Democrats who released the full list when Trump’s Energy Department and Office of Management and Budget did not.

The director of the OMB, Russell Vought, made the announcement shortly after Congress forced the federal government into a shutdown. On social media, he called the funds that were targeted to be cut “Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left’s climate agenda,” suggesting the choices in funding cuts were highly political.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, said in a statement that the cuts aim to eliminate 33 awards in Illinois, totaling more than $673 million, but that $90 million of that amount had already been spent. That translates to a loss of approximately $583 million.

The money was slated for transportation electrification, solar energy, “green” buildings and a range of other energy initiatives, according to a document released by Duckworth’s office.

In her statement, Duckworth said she thought “there is no legal justification whatsoever” for the funding cuts.

“Unsurprisingly for anyone familiar with how Trump operates, the more than 300 projects canceled are overwhelmingly in states that did not vote for him in the 2024 election,” Duckworth said. “This abrupt cancellation not only jeopardizes local and regional economic growth but also sends a concerning message to researchers, entrepreneurs, unions and communities nationwide who rely on the federal government to act in good faith and in the national interest.”

The U.S. Department of Energy said on X that it chopped the hundreds of obligated awards nationwide “following a thorough, individualized financial review.”

These “projects did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs, were not economically viable, and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars,” the department said.

Recipients can appeal the decision, the department said. Energy Department officials did not respond to a request for additional details.

Since Trump entered office in January, his administration has targeted spending on environmentally friendly projects and called such efforts a “scam.” He called climate change a “con job” during a recent speech at the United Nations. At several points he has also clawed back money, attempted mass firings and ended programs in a push to cut costs, breaking norms and angering Democrats and organizations that rely on consistent federal funding.

Before Congress failed to approve a funding plan to keep the federal government operating, Trump threatened that he’d use the shutdown to punish political enemies, which would include Illinois, a state that has resoundingly rejected his three bids for the presidency.

The hardest hit in Illinois this week appeared to be the nonprofit GTI, which was set to have more than $400 million in awards terminated, according to the list from Duckworth. Those awards were intended for carbon capture technology projects and the study of methane emissions, among other initiatives, the document said.

The awards also included more than $30 million for carbon capture and other projects at the University of Illinois, as well as $100 million for Exelon and $50 million for its subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison, for electric grid modernization in Illinois, according to Duckworth’s list.

Some other recipients of smaller terminated awards in Illinois included Cook County, the American Lung Association and Northwestern University. One project for hydrogen use in heavy machinery by construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar was slated to occur in Chillicothe, in Peoria County, which is part of Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood’s district, while the rest are affiliated with Democratic districts, according to a list from House Appropriations Committee Democrats.

One top-ranking Illinois Senate member, who is active on energy-related issues at the state Capitol, said what the Trump administration is doing “is a mistake.”

“If you’re an advocate of domestic energy production, which the administration claims to be, this would be the last thing you would be doing,” said Democratic state Sen. Bill Cunningham. “This is cutting off domestic energy production.”

(The Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner contributed.)

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