The Environmental Protection Agency has terminated a $7 billion grant program intended to fund solar projects across the nation. Benton Harbor was one of eight awardees in Michigan.
The city was still waiting to hear exactly how much money it would receive, but the funds would have gone toward installing solar panels at city facilities, with the ultimate goal of reducing the water bills of over 100 residents.
Mayor Marcus Muhammad said the cancellation will only cause harm.
“I can guarantee you with the energy bills that residents are paying, anything that would lower it is needed," he said.
He added that this made him question Trump's pro-consumer rhetoric.
"You have an administration who is talking out of two sides. Where you're saying you want to reduce inflation, you want to reduce the cost of eggs. But at the same time, you're on the other side doing things that is going to adversely affect the kitchen tables of low-income, middle-income, middle-class, you know, and the benefit is trickling up to the top," Muhammad said.
“If the administration continues to go down this reckless abandon, then I think that there are not only going to be heavy political penalties, but the legacy of President Trump will not be making America great again.”
In a video announcement, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called the program "a grift," adding that the cancellation was in accordance with the One Big Beautiful Bill that was passed by Congress last month.
This is not the first time the city has had a grant cancelled by the EPA. The agency rescinded a $20 million Environmental and Climate Justice grant earlier this year, which was awarded to the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission on behalf of the city.
Muhammad said they are still at work on fighting the effort to claw back those funds, which were set to go toward energy workforce training, a citywide recycling program and other projects.
"The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission, with the support of the City of Benton Harbor, are currently a part of a lawsuit where we are citing that it's unconstitutional to claw back funding that was allocated by Congress."
Muhammad said the cancellations have left him worried about how Benton Harbor may benefit under Trump's second term.
"We look forward to having greater success with Trump 2.0. The problem is the way that it has started it it leaves me not so optimistic."
In a statement released Tuesday, the director of Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Phil Roos, said EGLE was working with Michigan's attorney general to determine how to respond.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
