Infrastructure and Broadband
Last Updated: April 7, 2025
$38 billion in unspent Infrastructure and IRA funds canceled or reallocated.
NTIA broadband deployment grants paused or rescinded.
DOE clean energy and electric vehicle grants halted.
Urban tree planting and air monitoring grants withdrawn.
Grants being cut or changed
Infrastructure-related funding—especially for broadband expansion, clean energy, and transportation—has been significantly targeted in the administration’s rollback of Biden-era investments. More than $38 billion in unspent funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are being canceled or reallocated. This includes broadband deployment funds administered through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and clean energy grants through the Department of Energy (DOE). Local governments and rural cooperatives have had funding applications paused or rejected with little explanation.
Policy shifts
The administration is reprioritizing infrastructure investments away from climate and equity goals. Transportation grants that once prioritized public transit, pedestrian safety, and emission reduction are now being redirected to traditional highway and bridge repair. DOE has paused grants related to electric vehicle charging stations, solar energy access, and home weatherization for low-income families.
On hold or court challenges
A coalition of broadband and energy access advocates filed suit in March 2025 to block the clawback of NTIA and DOE grant funds, arguing the administration lacks the authority to rescind congressionally appropriated funds. In April, a temporary restraining order blocked the administration from canceling existing NTIA broadband deployment awards, allowing projects already under contract to proceed for now.
Timeline
Grant cancellations were announced between February and March 2025 and were intended to be retroactive, affecting previously approved grants. The court ruling on broadband funds is expected by late summer. Without congressional action, funding clawbacks could become permanent for unspent IRA and IIJA allocations by the end of FY2025.
State-level impact
Kentucky, North Carolina, and West Virginia had major broadband projects underway using NTIA funds that are now in limbo. Pennsylvania and Ohio had planned clean energy job training and solar co-op grants through DOE that are now paused. South Carolina and Tennessee could lose federal support for rural transportation enhancements and electric grid modernization projects. Local governments across the region may have to shelve or scale back infrastructure plans due to uncertainty in federal support.
Sources
U.S. Department of Energy. (2025, March 7). Memo on paused IRA energy programs. https://www.energy.gov/articles/ira-clean-energy-grants-paused-2025
NTIA. (2025, March 15). Broadband program funding update. https://ntia.gov/newsroom/2025-broadband-grant-status-update
Reuters. (2025, April 2). Judge temporarily blocks NTIA broadband clawbacks. https://www.reuters.com/legal/judge-blocks-broadband-funding-freeze-2025-04-02
Associated Press. (2025, February 28). Trump admin shifts infrastructure focus to roads, cuts climate grants. https://apnews.com/article/trump-infrastructure-shift-2025
