NE Washington News

Congressional Republicans are investigating a Biden-era green energy grant initiative amid concerns over the ethics of its administration. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), which distributed $20 billion to eight nonprofits, is under scrutiny by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by Congressman Brett Guthrie, alongside Congressmen Gary Palmer and Morgan Griffith.

A letter sent to the grant recipients seeks to determine if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Biden adhered to ethics and conflict of interest protocols. Republican leaders are examining whether funds were allocated "fairly and impartially to qualified applicants," as described in a recent statement.

The inquiry follows the Trump administration's February announcement aiming to reclaim funds due to oversight concerns. Lee Zeldin of the EPA highlighted a former Biden official's analogy likening the disbursements to "tossing gold bars off the Titanic."

A controversial aspect is the $2 billion awarded to Power Forward Communities, a group with links to Stacy Abrams. Criticism stems from its inception post-GGRF announcement, raising questions about its rapid development despite initial reported low revenue.

Climate United, which received $7 billion from GGRF, also faces scrutiny. The group employs a former Biden climate advisor and is led by a CEO linked to the Obama administration. Its board includes a figure present at Biden's infrastructure bill signing.

The probe includes organizations affiliated with Democrats and Biden's advisors, some of which were either recently founded or gained prominence shortly after the GGRF announcement. The entities wielded significant authority over fund utilization, according to Zeldin.

Judge Tanya Chutkan, appointed by Obama, issued a restraining order blocking the EPA from freezing funds allocated to three groups amidst litigation. The ongoing investigation and legal developments underscore the complexity surrounding GGRF's implementation and oversight.

Background details the Inflation Reduction Act's authorization of the GGRF, which initially included $27 billion, with the $20 billion allocation split between National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator Program recipients.

The recipients under the National Clean Investment Fund include the Coalition for Green Capital, Climate United Fund, and Power Forward Communities. The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator Program's awardees are the Justice Climate Fund, Opportunity Finance Network, Inclusiv, Native CDFI Network, and Appalachian Community Capital.