President Trump’s U.S. Department of Energy cancelled $1 billion in federal funding for the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, a DOE initiative “to leverage the region’s abundant renewable resources to produce clean hydrogen exclusively via electrolysis” across the states of Washington, Oregon, and Montana.
When the project was first introduced (it was funded under Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (R) praised the promise of the project which was to provide an estimated 10,000 “good-paying jobs and boost American made energy.”
When asked on CNN about the Trump administration’s decision to kill the project, MAGA-aligned U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) admitted that it will take away good jobs in Montana.
Sheehy added, on the premise that the government shutdown was the trigger for the $1 billion cancelation, “We want the government to be open” and suggested that Kaitlin Collins talk to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about the issue. (Republicans are blaming Schumer and Democrats for the shutdown.)
COLLINS: The Dept of Energy just canceled a billion dollars for a hydrogen hub that covers your state of Montana. Is that taking away good-paying jobs?
SHEEHY: Of course it is. We want the govt to be open
COLLINS: But the Energy Secretary says they would’ve pulled that funding… pic.twitter.com/6AAfmldQf8
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 15, 2025
Collins replied: “The Trump administration didn’t have to make that decision, they decided to pull that $1 billion from your state. Do you agree with that?”
Sheehy replied, “We wouldn’t be here if the government was still open.”
Collins then revealed she asked the Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright about the decision to cut the hub project and according to Collins, Wright said “they would have done that anyway even if the government hadn’t shut down. That was months in the making, even before the government shut down.”
Sheehy took a moment to reply and said, “Well, it’s unfortunate we’re still shut down.”
U.S. Representative Emily Randall (D-MT) said that the cancellation of funding for the hub is “likely illegal” and has vowed to “be fighting alongside our state’s leadership, the Pacific Northwest congressional delegation, labor partners, and community leaders to reverse this harmful decision. And I’ll keep pushing to safeguard the investments our communities need to build the clean energy economy that creates jobs, protects our environment, and secures our economic future.”