Lawmakers Debate Energy Department’s $3.7 Billion in ‘Green Energy’ Cuts

House panel Republicans praise Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s plan to slash his department’s non-defense spending and refocus on its ‘core mission.’

Energy Secretary Chris Wright displays the order he signed in March approving Delfin LNG LLC’s permit to begin exporting LNG from its offshore Louisiana terminal during an oil and gas conference in Houston. John Haughey/The Epoch Times

The Department of Energy’s $46.3 billion fiscal year 2026 budget request trims spending by 7 percent from this year’s $49.8 billion plan, slashing allocations for non-defense energy programs by 26 percent while increasing funding by 25 percent for the National Nuclear Security Administration, which manages the nation’s nuclear weapons programs.

The primary proposed cuts in the department’s discretionary spending are “green energy” initiatives adopted during the first two years of the Biden administration, clipping at least $3.7 billion in those programs in the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget and pulling the plug on nearly $20 billion in dedicated funding through 2032.