"Energy Department Review Led To Delays At Green Projects: GAO"

"WASHINGTON - Green energy technology development projects suffered staffing and investment problems last year due to a Trump administration review of Energy Department funding for companies and universities, a federal government report said on Wednesday.

The Department of Energy implemented a program to review and approve aid on a rolling basis including funds from its branch called the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, from May to September. ARPA-E funds high risk but potentially transformational energy projects such as next generation batteries for electric cars and storing energy from wind and solar power.

The DOE review process was implemented to make sure that the aid was consistent with the Trump administration’s priorities, it said at the time.

But the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a watchdog unit of Congress, said that 10 recipients of ARPA-E funding it interviewed complained that uncertainties caused by the review reduced private investors’ willingness to fund projects, delayed equipment purchases and limited the scope of projects."

Timothy Gardner reports for Reuters February 28, 2018.