What happens when the US awards $20 billion in climate grants, and then wants them back?

In April 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Biden administration awarded $20 billion in grants to eight organizations tasked with financing thousands of clean energy and other climate projects across the country, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities.But that work was abruptly halted when the new Trump-appointed EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, froze the funds in February, claiming the program was riddled with waste and fraud.In this episode of Climate Court Voices, we speak with Brooke Durham, Director of Communications for Climate United, one of the eight companies to be awarded the grant. She talks about the projects her organization had begun funding with the EPA grant and the ongoing uphill battle to unfreeze it.Timestamps: (00:00) Intro(01:29) What is Climate United?(02:47) Receiving the EPA grant(03:48) The projects the grant would have helped finance(05:05) The new Trump administration takes office(06:10) EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announces freeze with a video on X(09:00) Climate United reacts to the video(09:23) Understanding Zeldin's accusations(11:19) Climate United sues the EPA, Zeldin and Citibank(12:32) What the freeze meant for Climate United(15:52) Dozens of projects in limbo(17:28) An ongoing legal battle(21:35) What happens when the US government wants its money back?