Trump DOE decides to keep at least one Biden-era energy program

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a $1.6 billion loan guarantee to upgrade approximately 5,000 miles of existing transmission lines owned by American Electric Power (AEP) across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. This project, initiated under the Biden administration just before President Trump’s inauguration, aims to enhance the capacity of current grid infrastructure without adding new routes, thereby improving electricity flow and reducing congestion. The loan guarantee will enable AEP to secure lower interest rates, saving at least $275 million, with anticipated benefits including lower electricity costs in the Midwest. The upgrades will involve rewiring lines with new conductors, similar to other grid modernization efforts focused on maximizing existing rights-of-way rather than building new power lines. While the Trump administration has canceled several other Biden-era energy grants—such as a $467 million grant in Minnesota for solar and wind capacity and a $250 million grant in Oregon for renewable project connections—it has chosen to proceed with the