Ginny Roscamp, Senior Press Secretary, Federal Communications, Sierra Club, ginny.roscamp@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC — On Monday, May 19, under suspension of the rules, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by voice vote and without objection the “Clean Energy Demonstration Transparency Act” (HR 1453), a bipartisan bill that requires semiannual reporting from the Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) on its projects.
OCED was established in 2021 to administer the funding of major clean energy and clean manufacturing programs, which were first authorized by President Trump under the Energy Act of 2020, and later funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The bill’s passage ironically comes after the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) reduction in force eliminated roughly 77% of OCED employees. Simultaneously, Republicans and the Trump Administration are attempting to cut funding to OCED — and these very same projects — through the budget reconciliation process and the President’s budget proposal. OCED’s closure risks $65 billion in economic output and puts 300,000 American jobs on the line.
In response, Harry Manin, Deputy Legislative Director for Industrial Policy and Trade at the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
“Thanks to DOGE cuts, OCED doesn’t have the staff to craft the very reports this bill is asking for. At the same time, Republicans are backing a budget reconciliation bill to defund these clean energy projects and gut the office administering them. Republicans can't have it both ways. They must admit their reconciliation bill is a death blow to clean energy projects in their districts, and that voting on bills like this while allowing DOGE to run wild is nothing more than a distraction and an insult to their constituents.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.