WASHINGTON (TNND) — The Biden administration gave at least $20 billion to “environmental groups,” most of which were founded not long before receiving the funds, The New York Post reported recently.
Members of the administration distributed the money to at least two organizations that say they invest in renewable energy projects and one coalition that claims to finance “home energy efficiency upgrades,” according to the newspaper.
Climate United, which describes itself as a “national investment fund” that provides “affordable, accessible financing” for renewable energy projects in “overlooked” communities, reportedly received $7 billion from former Vice President Kamala Harris, who did not return The National News Desk (TNND)’s request for comment, in April of last year. The New York Post said the organization was incorporated in late November 2023.
A Climate United spokesperson told the newspaper that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under former President Joe Biden “encouraged groups to work with coalitions” in order to receive funding, according to the report.
Another organization, the Justice Climate Fund, reportedly received $940 million from the EPA. The group, which says it drives investments in green issues, was created in 2023, The New York Post said.
Power Forward Communities, the coalition financing the “home energy efficiency upgrades,” accepted $2 billion from the EPA, according to the newspaper. The group was reportedly registered in 2023.
TNND could not confirm The New York Post’s account for the three organizations.
The White House under Biden used the Inflation Reduction Act he signed to promote work done on climate change and renewable energy. The former president viewed addressing climate change as an opportunity to lower costs for Americans, one of his advisors said in 2023.
Current EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin referred to the distribution of funds to organizations as “waste and abuse,” according to The New York Post.
“Of the eight pass-through entities that received funding from the pot of $20 billion in tax dollars, various recipients have shown very little qualification to handle a single dollar, let alone several billions of dollars,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
