With the government shutdown in its third week and the reduction of regular operations due to hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers, environmental organizations are concerned about how this moment will halt progress toward a greener climate.
“The administration’s unwillingness to negotiate but rather prepare to use the shutdown as an opportunity to fire more federal workers and permanently destroy programs focused on protecting American families continues to demonstrate the cruelty with which Trump governs,” said Quentin Scott, federal policy director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) Action Fund.
On Oct. 10, a court filing from the United States Office of Management and Budget stated that more than 4,000 federal workers across seven agencies received Reductions in Force (RIF) notices. Approximately 187 employees from the Department of Energy (DOE) received layoff notices, and 20 to 30 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees were told they could possibly receive an RIF in the future.
According to the National Park Service’s (NPS) contingency plan, published ahead of the shutdown, approximately 9,296 of the agency’s 14,500 employees were expected to be furloughed. Because of this, more than 35 former park superintendents sent a letter to the Trump administration, urging the parks be closed in the event of a shutdown.
The previous 2018 impasse left the NPS without sufficient personnel to take care of and protect the parks, meaning many landscapes suffered vandalism and destruction.
Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), described leaving park gates open to the public during the shutdown as both irresponsible and dangerous.
“Our national parks have never been more at risk,” Pierno said in a statement. “Congress must immediately fund the government, fully support the Park Service and its staff, and stop any more devastating cuts, before it’s too late.”
Clean Energy Innovation at Risk
On Oct. 2, the day after the shutdown began, DOE announced that 321 financial awards supporting 223 projects could face termination. The discontinued awards were supplied by branches that championed innovative energy technologies, such as the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Grid Deployment Office(GDO) and others.
Maryland is one of the many states affected by these funding cuts, as 12 projects costing almost $88 million will be canceled. According to a list published by the Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee’s, some of the terminated award recipients in Maryland include: the Power 52 Foundation, which offers employment in the solar industry and other green job industries to underserved adults; and ClearlyEnergy, which uses climate policy analysis and software development to create a sustainable and energy-efficient future.
In response to these funding cuts, members of the Maryland Congressional delegation released a statement condemning both the shutdown and the attack on clean energy and sustainability initiatives, calling the dismantling of these projects “partisan” and “likely illegal.”
“Terminating these lawfully approved projects will raise energy prices for Maryland families, threaten good-paying American infrastructure jobs and prevent local energy companies from enhancing grid flexibility and improving the resilience of the power system against extreme weather,” delegation members wrote.
In the joint statement, delegates stated they consider the termination of such projects as the current administration’s way of leaving American business and families to fend for themselves.
“We will continue pushing Republicans to responsibly fund the government and end this shameful shutdown,” the group of Maryland leaders continued.
Washington will also be affected by the DOE’s cuts, as a $4.8 million reward to the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) was canceled, per the House Appropriations Committee’s list. Since the IREC is a nonprofit that is adamantly building the foundation for accessible renewable energy, and the District has a goal of completely relying on clean energy sources by 2032, this could be detrimental to the city’s vision for a sustainable future.
As Congress remains in a standstill— not able to agree on a funding plan— more environmental programs are at risk of being cut, threatening the fight for cleaner and affordable energy and the preservation of treasured landscapes.
“Government shutdowns are painful, but the pain the Trump administration has inflicted on the American people has arguably been even worse,” Scott, who has served as CCAN’s policy director since 2021. “Reopening the government in a bipartisan way is the only path forward.”