The US Energy Department wants to end a 40-year-old grant program for schools and hospitals

The US Department of Energy is proposing to eliminate a grant program that has helped schools, hospitals, and local governments fund energy efficiency projects for decades. This means these institutions would lose a dedicated source of federal funding for upgrades like better insulation or more efficient heating systems.

This program, established in 1978, has provided billions of dollars for energy efficiency improvements in public buildings. Ending it would remove a consistent, if often overlooked, source of capital for institutions that typically struggle to fund such upgrades. It shifts the burden of finding money for these projects entirely to local budgets or other federal programs, which may not be as accessible or specifically targeted.