Los Angeles, California – A federal freeze on $250 million in green energy funding threatens California’s push to replace diesel trucks with electric ones at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s busiest port complex.
The funding, part of a broader $20 billion green energy initiative under the Inflation Reduction Act, was set aside for a program by the Maryland-based nonprofit Climate United. The initiative would have provided affordable leases for around 500 electric heavy-duty trucks, primarily for small operators serving the ports.
However, the grant is stalled due to a legal battle involving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump, Citibank—which holds the funds—and Climate United. The pause is part of a sweeping rollback by the Trump administration, which has accused the green funding program of “misconduct, conflicts of interest, and potential fraud” without providing specific evidence…