The Trump administration sent stop-work orders to three University of Maine federal grant-funded projects researching offshore wind.
The Department of Energy ordered the University of Maine to end its offshore wind research projects, which were funded through a $12.6 million grant awarded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, an agency in the Energy Department charged with funding research and development of advanced energy technologies.
“It makes no specific allegations, nor is UMaine aware of any previous concerns or investigation into its compliance,” a university spokesperson said in a statement shared with NOTUS about the stop work orders.
Of the grant, $4.4 million is still unspent, though the university had enlisted a construction company to build key components of the turbines. That project is on hold now.
The three stop work orders issued accused the university of violating “national policy assurances.” These assurances outline the rules the university must follow to receive federal funding. Title IX, the law that protects from sex discrimination and was used in the Trump administration’s lawsuit over transgender athletes in women’s sports, is a part of those assurances.
This came as President Donald Trump has been putting pressure on Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) to abide by his executive order on transgender athletes.
The public feud between Mills and Trump began in February when Trump directly called Mills and Maine out at a governor’s luncheon for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. Trump pulled federal funding from the state because Mills and state officials disobeyed his executive orders.
“Well, we are the federal law. You better do it. You better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t,” Trump said in February.
“We’ll see you in court,” Mills shot back.
The Education Department referred the investigation into Maine to the DOJ after the state’s Education Department failed to resolve Title IX violations brought forward in a noncompliance letter.
The Department of Agriculture previously pulled funding from the University of Maine, citing Title IX violations. However, funding was restored when the USDA ruled that the university did not violate the rules.
Meanwhile, the president has actively worked to squash active and proposed offshore wind projects. He signed an executive order on his first day in office temporarily suspending new offshore wind leasing. Trump also ordered a halt to construction on an active offshore wind project off the New York coast, even though it had already obtained federal permits.
Maine has already had one project interrupted since Trump was inaugurated. A company that was contracted to sell energy from an offshore project suspended negotiations in the state after Trump issued his executive orders.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO KEY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS IF TRUMP SHUTS IT DOWN
“The university is assessing the federal notice, which states that the suspension period may not exceed 90 calendar days, and the next steps for the project and related Maine contracts and jobs. It will provide additional public comment when its analysis is complete,” a university spokesperson said to NOTUS.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the University of Maine and the Energy Department.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story did not meet editorial standards. It has since been adjusted.
