This piece originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal.
“DOGE Plans Sharp Clean-Energy Cuts” (U.S. News, April 18) rightly warns that proposed cuts at key Energy Department funding offices threaten America’s edge in energy innovation.
At the Foundation for American Innovation, we advocate policies that bolster technological progress. The Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, or LPO, drives critical advancements in nuclear power, critical minerals and grid infrastructure that power economic growth and counter China’s heavy investments in these sectors. Its loans unlock vital capital for strategic U.S. infrastructure projects, creating high-wage jobs and strengthening national security. The LPO is on track to return more to the Treasury than was originally outlayed—making it not merely an investment in America’s energy future but a financially sound one as well.
