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ClimateQuiet 6d · day 6

DOGE cuts tribal funding by $470M, halting climate and renewable energy projects

Trump administration's cost-cutting agency eliminated hundreds of millions in environmental grants to Indigenous communities, pausing wind farms and climate resilience plans.

newest coverage 5d agosummary written 5d ago6 pieces212 likes & upvotes2 comments NewswiresMastodonBluesky

What to know

  • DOGE eliminated $468 million in tribal funding, with roughly 50% targeting environmental and natural resources projects including climate resilience plans and renewable energy.
  • The cuts reversed investments from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and canceled specific projects like a $20 million wind energy grant to Alaska's Native Village of Kotzebue that would have reduced diesel dependency.
  • Brookings researchers argue the cuts represent a return to systemic underinvestment in Indigenous communities and violate federal trust and treaty obligations.
  • Indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change, making the loss of environmental funding particularly damaging to their adaptation efforts.

“We're pretty much at the mercy of world markets. Right now, with the Iran war going on, the diesel prices are very high and we're locked in to much higher prices than we've had in the past. There's really nothing the community can do about diesel prices, but what we can do is produce our own energy.”

Chad Nordlum, Energy project manager, Native Village of Kotzebue · Grist ↗

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Trump administration agencyChad Nordlum Energy project manager, Native Village of KotzebueRob Maxim Mashpee Wampanoag, Brookings Metro fellowBrookings Institution Research organization

DOGE cuts tribal funding by $470M, halting climate and renewable energy projects
Grist

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in two hours at Nov 2, 3 AM; 6 pieces over 6 days (1 article · 5 posts) Nov 2, 3 AM — 3 pieces · 1 article · 2 posts — Mastodon 2, Newswires 1Nov 2, 5 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 9 AM — quietNov 2, 11 AM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Bluesky 2Nov 2, 1 PM — quietNov 2, 3 PM — quietNov 2, 5 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 9 PM — quietNov 2, 11 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 3 AM — quietNov 3, 5 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — quietNov 3, 9 AM — quietNov 3, 11 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 3 PM — quietNov 3, 5 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Nov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 9 PM — quietNov 3, 11 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 3 AM — quietNov 4, 5 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 9 AM — quietNov 4, 11 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 3 PM — quietNov 4, 5 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 9 PM — quietNov 4, 11 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 3 AM — quietNov 5, 5 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 9 AM — quietNov 5, 11 AM — quietNov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 3 PM — quietNov 5, 5 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 9 PM — quietNov 5, 11 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 3 AM — quietNov 6, 5 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 9 AM — quietNov 6, 11 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 3 PM — quietNov 6, 5 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 9 PM — quietNov 6, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 5 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quiet 1
Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6yesterdaynow · 8:42 AM ET
  1. 1

    Brookings Institution reports DOGE eliminated $468 million in tribal funding

    Two new Brookings Institution reports document that the Department of Government Efficiency eliminated $468 million in funding to Indian Country, with roughly half allocated for environmental and natural resources projects and 11% for agriculture. The cuts also reversed funding streams established by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

    “The actions that the Trump administration is taking are particularly significant, but it's not totally out of trend with previous administrations. And what we wanted to show was that actually this underinvestment is kind of the default for the U.S. rather than a blip.”
    — Rob Maxim
    • sesmith.lol

      This is a staggering loss of funding. Many tribes are also at increased risk of climate disasters caused by decades of poor policy and decisions that they had little to no say in.

      sesmith.lolBluesky4d ago112▲view on Bluesky ↗
  2. background

    Trump administration cancels Kotzebue wind energy grant — The Trump administration canceled the $20 million EPA grant for the Native Village of Kotzebue's wind energy project, leaving the project paused more than a year later.

  3. background

    EPA announces $150 million tribal infrastructure allocation in Alaska — The Environmental Protection Agency announced a $150 million funding package for tribal infrastructure projects in Alaska, including a $20 million wind energy grant for the Native Village of Kotzebue to reduce diesel dependency.