FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 9, 2025
CONTACT: Dana Kuhnline, Program Director at ReImagine Appalachia, (304) 825-3262, [email protected]
APPALACHIA- As reported by Axios and other news agencies, an unconfirmed DOE document shared on October 7th signals that the agency might terminate an additional round of nearly 650 projects. Last week, more than 300 projects – worth nearly $8 billion dollars combined – were shared as being slated for cancellation by the DOE. DOE Program offices that have cancelled projects include OCED – Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, EERE – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, FE- Fossil Energy, GDO – Grid Deployment Office, MESC – Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains.
This list includes nearly 50 projects that would impact communities in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia and other Appalachian areas, many of which are highlighted in this spreadsheet created using the leaked document.
This includes projects such as West Virginia battery manufacturers Sparkz and Form Energy, as well as the solar on mine lands projects Nicholas County Solar (WV) and Mineral Basin Solar (PA) among others. The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub with proposed locations throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia is also slated for termination. Proposed terminations of West Virginia University projects include, among other programs, a program retraining mechanics to work on electric vehicles.
ReImagine Appalachia Co-Director Amanda Woodrum said,
“Many of these climate infrastructure projects result from the former administration’s priority for investing in coal country, one that recognized that with the right vision and resources the region could be transformed into leaders of the new energy economy. The new administration’s shortsighted and drastic changes undermine previous bipartisan efforts in the region to dream big and then turn that dream into reality. Resources that started to bring back hope to the region. Undermining these infrastructure investments directly harms communities in Appalachia and wastes years of local leadership and innovation to build a brighter future for Appalachia. Appalachia has real assets that could help it become a manufacturing hub for the sustainable products and cleantech markets of the future. Cancelling these visionary projects undermine the ability of manufacturers to get ahead of the changing global economy. The low-carbon economy is coming, regardless of who likes it or not.”
These projected cuts come a week before the ReImagine Appalachia “Summit for Manufacturing Strategy” scheduled for Thursday, October 16th. The summit aims to galvanize energy to create a strategy to grow the manufacturing sector in the region, with a particular focus on sustainable products, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and other opportunities for Appalachia.
According to Axios’ analysis, this new list raises the cancelled programs to around $20 billion dollars, including last week’s announcement.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has signaled that more cuts are on the way in recent interviews, including a CNN interview. Reuters and Latitude Media have also shared analysis of the potential cuts.