The ax is already falling on climate programs as the Trump administration attempts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. At least 10 climate and clean energy programs have gotten the chop, including support for Nepal’s power sector and a multimillion-dollar effort to expand electricity access through renewable sources in southern Africa, as I wrote today after obtaining a spreadsheet of canceled initiatives. It’s unclear how many more climate-related programs the administration may have canceled. The document is just one of several spreadsheets circulating around an agency that has been at the center of efforts by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to slash the federal workforce. But they’re part of a broader freeze on foreign assistance that has derailed efforts to help poorer communities gain access to clean power for essential services, monitor for extreme weather and adapt farming practices to increasing episodes of drought and heat. Even if those programs haven’t yet been terminated, the damage from the funding freeze could be chilling. This kind of assistance is “not charity,” said Katie Auth, policy director of the Energy for Growth Hub think tank and a former official at USAID. U.S. support for global energy solutions powers economic growth, makes communities more resilient and helps drive private capital into fast-growing markets, she noted. “Downsizing this work would be a massive loss.” The cancellations come as the fate of USAID plays out in the courts. On Feb. 13 a judge barred top State Department officials from acting on any contract cancellations and ordered funds to be restored, though some aid groups have complained that much of the money remained on hold. Administration officials have argued that the judge’s order still gives them the authority to oversee contracts and grants, including terminating them. The judge responded Thursday by ordering an immediate end to the blanket funding suspension. Meanwhile, the State Department, which now oversees USAID, says it’s reviewing all programs as part of an agencywide restructuring. Programs that don’t align with U.S. interests will not continue, a spokesperson said. How that review is being conducted, however, has been called into question. According to a motion filed Wednesday in the lawsuit, little evidence exists that a thorough analysis has taken place, with termination notices going to programs that included terms like “consultant” and “energy.” | 
