Despite the Department of Government Efficiency’s failures to cut spending and the president’s support for a bill that will add $2.4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next 10 years, some wasteful government projects have been cut under the Trump administration. 

Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently canceled 24 grants approved by the Energy Department under former President Joe Biden. The action netted over $3 billion in savings. Earlier in May, Wright axed an additional $7 billion of green energy loans approved by Biden. 

Unfortunately for taxpayers, the savings that Wright has identified are only a drop in the bucket of the wasteful spending that the Biden Energy Department approved. Here are five of the most egregious examples:

1. $10 Billion for Ford’s Electric Vehicle Push and Eminent Domain Abuses 

In December 2024, the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) closed a $9.63 billion direct loan to BlueOval SK LLC, a joint venture between Ford and South Korean conglomerate SK On. The loan was approved to fund “the construction of three manufacturing plants, to produce batteries for Ford Motor Company’s future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles [E.V.s],” according to the award announcement. 

BlueOval has begun or completed construction for these facilities—one in western Tennessee called BlueOval City—and two in Hardin County, Kentucky, known as Kentucky 1 and 2. 

In addition to allocating millions of dollars in tax credits for the rights to house BlueOval City, the Tennessee Legislature also created the Megasite Authority of West Tennessee, reports Reason‘s Joe Lancaster. The board was granted the authority to execute contracts on behalf of development, which includes the power to seize private property through eminent domain. In most cases, the board lowballed local property owners, including Ray Jones, who was offered “a measly $8,165” for his acre of land, even though the going rate was $200,000 per acre. There is no set date for when the plant will open. 

Kentucky 1 has faced numerous occupational safety and health complaints from its workers. A review from The Courier-Journal found “dozens of workplace injuries; hospitalizations related to respiratory issues; unshakeable mold contamination; a bat-infested training facility; blocked emergency exit doors; and chemical exposure risks.” The state has opened investigations into the plant, which is scheduled to begin production later this year. Kentucky 2’s opening has been indefinitely delayed. Michael Adams, CEO of BlueOval SK, recently told WDRB, that the plant’s opening date will be a market decision, but “the market is telling us that Kentucky 2 is not ready.”

2. Facility Upgrades for ExxonMobil

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021 created a new office within the Energy Departm

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