An internal watchdog in the U.S. Department of Energy will investigate the Trump administration’s termination of $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects across 16 states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.


The move is especially welcome for Democrats who said that the cuts — part of broader attacks from President Donald Trump on climate programs and clean energy funding — would slash projects boosting the electric grid, threaten thousands of manufacturing and construction jobs, and send Americans’ energy costs soaring.


Sarah Nelson, assistant inspector general for the Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General, said in a letter to members of Congress on Wednesday that the audit of the canceled funds will review 'whether those cancellations were in accordance with established criteria.'


'This work will help ensure that these activities are conducted consistently with applicable laws, regulations, and Departmental policies and procedures,' Nelson added.


The Department of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


In October, the Energy Department announced that 321 funding awards across 223 projects were terminated, stating that the 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.'


At the time, White House budget director Russell Vought confirmed that awards across states such as California, New York, New Jersey, and others, would be cut. All 16 targeted states supported Harris.


More than two dozen Democratic members of Congress from California, led by Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, called for a formal investigation into the funding cuts, claiming they suggest significant unlawful bias.


Schiff expressed his support for the investigation into what he termed 'clear political targeting intended to punish blue states.'


The cuts, heavily impacting California, include over $1 billion allocated for a hydrogen hub in the state.