ExxonMobil is cutting one-fifth of the workforce at its Baytown, Texas, clean hydrogen plant after the Trump administration withdrew more than $330 million in federal support previously promised for the project. Once expected to be the world’s largest hydrogen facility, the Baytown site is now on hold due to the funding cancellation. The U.S. Department of Energy claimed the project—and several others—didn’t meet updated standards for cost-effectiveness and national energy priorities. In total, the administration has eliminated $3.7 billion in climate and energy investments, halting 24 clean energy developments.
The move is part of a sweeping rollback of federal climate initiatives. President Trump’s team is also seeking to claw back $20 billion in broader climate funding and has shut down several international climate diplomacy efforts. Other major clean tech projects affected include a carbon capture initiative by Calpine and Eastman Chemical’s plastic recycling program. Environmental advocates warn these cuts risk stalling U.S. progress in clean energy innovation and climate leadership, potentially pushing private sector efforts backward just as the need for global emissions reductions intensifies. More