Karen Hill and her husband at home in Lanett, Alabama.
Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/BloombergClimate Politics
These Homeowners Got an Energy-Bill Lifeline. Trump Yanked It Back
In Alabama and Georgia, residents were set to get home energy upgrades to lower their bills. Then the Trump administration canceled the grant, calling it DEI.
In late 2024, Gretchen Holloway was approved for a new federally funded program that promised to cut her $900 utility bills by helping repair her nearly century-old home.
For years, the retired teacher in Valley, Alabama, had been trying to hold together the house where she’s lived her entire life, but her pension and Social Security income weren’t enough. Floors had collapsed. One bathroom no longer worked. Gaps around doors and windows let air pour in and out, sending her heating and cooling costs soaring.