Since President Joe Biden took office in 2020, Rhode Island has received millions of dollars in federal funding for environmental programs and initiatives. But the state’s congressional delegation says those dollars could be at risk if former President Donald Trump is elected this week.
“A second Trump administration would spell disaster for Rhode Island efforts toward climate safety,” wrote Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, in an email to The Herald.
Home electrification efforts targeted at low and middle-income households, the expansion of electric buses, the development of EV charging stations and improvements to water infrastructure are among the Rhode Island programs that have received federal funding under the Biden administration.
Throughout the past four years, Congress has delegated over $900 million in federal funding for Rhode Island environmental programs, according to a spokesperson for Representative Seth Magaziner
Much of the funding for clean air, water and renewable energy programs comes from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, according to Chip Unruh, a spokesperson for Senator Jack Reed, in an email to The Herald.
Representative Gabe Amo wrote in an email to The Herald that these resources help enable the state to “protect our coastline, deliver environmental justice and grow the clean energy economy.”
While not all of that funding has been spent, all the money allocated could be rescinded under a Trump administration, explained Tina Munter, the RI Policy Advocate for the Green Energy Consumers Alliance, a nonpartisan nonprofit that operates in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Project 2025, a political initiative developed by conservative policy advocates with direct links to Trump, threatens the repeal of spending bills like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. The initiative also proposes the “rescinding of all funds not already spent by these programs,” said Munter.
“Trump has vowed to cancel these programs if he is re-elected with a Republican majority in Congress, and instead prioritize the agenda of his donors from the fossil fuel industry,” wrote Magaziner in an email to The Herald.
Climate justice initiatives could also be at risk under a Trump presidency, said Climate Action Rhode Island Co-President Caitlin Sanford. The Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative has prioritized disadvantaged communities when making investments in environmental programs. Rhode Island and Massachusetts have received over $2 million in funding from Environmental Protection Agency programs targeted at disadvantaged communities.
Trump has threatened to dismantle the E.P.A and reverse climate policies. During his first term, the agency experienced budget cuts and staff exits.
Members of the state’s congressional delegation have expressed intent to fight back against potential Trump administration changes.
“Many in Congress, including Senator Reed, would oppose attempts to gut the E.P.A. and cut clean air and water funding for states and communities nationwide,” Unruh wrote.
Project 2025 also threatens to cut funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while also completely eradicating the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, which provides resources for research on carbon emissions impacts, Sanford noted. This could impact Rhode Islanders’ ability to get flood insurance through FEMA, impede disaster recovery efforts when flooding impacts state beaches and limit climate research, she added.
A Trump administration could also stall growing industries in the Rhode Island economy, including offshore wind, Sanford said.
Offshore wind has become a key part of Rhode Island’s “clean energy sector,” while also providing “a huge source of jobs,” Sanford said.
While Biden has supported offshore wind development around the country, Trump has threatened to stop offshore wind projects and could allow lawsuits against offshore wind to slow project development, Sanford said.
Former President Donald Trump, the Rhode Island Republican Party and the minority party leadership of the Rhode Island General Assembly did not respond to The Herald’s requests for comment.
While Sanford praised President Biden's investments in climate policies, she feels Vice President Kamala Harris has been hesitant to detail what climate policies she would enact if elected. But, simply continuing the work started by Biden would be “hugely beneficial,” she said.