Inside the national purge hitting BETA and UVM
When Vermonters learned on October 2, 2025, that federal grants for BETA Technologies and the University of Vermont (UVM) had been canceled, the initial news left more questions than answers. The termination of a ~$1.8 million grant for BETA and a ~$3.4 million grant for UVM was part of a larger federal action, but the reasons why remained unclear. This article fills in the missing pieces to provide a complete picture of why these specific Vermont projects were defunded and what it means for the state.
The National Picture: A Politically Targeted Action
To understand what happened in Vermont, we must first look to Washington. The cancellation of the BETA and UVM grants was not an isolated event. On that same day, the Trump administration’s Department of Energy (DOE) announced the termination of 223 projects nationwide, totaling nearly $7.6 billion in funding, according to reports from the Washington Post and Associated Press.
The administration’s official reason was that after a “thorough, individualized financial review,” the projects were deemed “not economically viable” and failed to advance the nation’s energy needs, according to the DOE’s press release. However, a stark political pattern quickly emerged. Political observers and news outlets like Utility Dive immediately pointed out that all 223 canceled projects were located in the 16 states that had voted against President Trump in the 2024 election.
This pattern was reinforced by the administration’s own rhetoric. White House OMB Director Russell Vought publicly framed the cuts as canceling “nearly $8 billion in Green New Scam funding,” according to PBS News. This language suggested the decision was driven less by sober financial analysis and more by a political agenda to dismantle the previous administration’s clean energy policies in states led by their political opposition.
A Closer Look at the Vermont Projects
The administration’s broad-brush justification of cutting “Green New Scam” projects falls apart when examining the specific grants awarded in Vermont.
BETA Technologies: A Matter of National Security
BETA’s project was not a typical environmental initiative. Its goal was to solve a critical logistical problem for the U.S. military: how to rapidly recharge electric aircraft and vehicles in remote or forward-deployed locations with no power grid. According to federal grant documents, the project was designed for “austere environments”—a term commonly used in defense and disaster response.
This project had direct applications for national security and military readiness, aligning with BETA’s existing contracts with the U.S. Air Force. The decision to cancel this grant suggests that the project’s “clean energy” label was enough to condemn it, regardless of its strategic importance to national interests the administration claims to prioritize.
University of Vermont: Empowering Local Communities
UVM’s “Energyshed” project was designed to embody Vermont’s tradition of local control. In partnership with national energy labs, UVM was developing tools to help local planning committees and citizens—not just experts—understand the trade-offs of different renewable energy options, according to the Department of Energy. The project was about empowering data-driven, town-level decision-making.
The cancellation of this grant presents a sharp contradiction. A federal administration that often champions local control took direct action to defund a project specifically created to enhance it. This indicates the administration’s ideological opposition to renewable energy overrode any philosophical alignment with the project’s community-focused, Vermont-style approach.
The Response: A Calculated Silence
The sweeping, politically targeted cuts sparked outrage from Democrats and environmental groups nationally. In Vermont, however, the reaction was more muted, largely due to the broader political context.
- Vermont’s Congressional Delegation: While no immediate statements were found from Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch or Representative Becca Balint on these specific cuts, their records show they were already deeply engaged in fighting other widespread federal funding cuts targeting Vermont. For instance, Senator Sanders was battling the cancellation of the “Solar for All” program he had authored, according to his Senate office. The delegation was fighting a war on many fronts, and this was another battle.
- The Governor’s Office: Republican Governor Phil Scott was in a difficult position as the leader of a targeted state. No public statement on the matter was found, likely reflecting a strategic decision to avoid a public conflict with a president from his own party.
- BETA and UVM: The affected institutions themselves remained publicly silent. For UVM, this was likely a calculated move. The university was already dealing with the termination of other federal grants and, as its Vice President for Research told Seven Days earlier in the year, was trying to assess its “risk exposure” to an administration actively looking for targets. Protesting loudly could have invited more unwanted attention.
The Full Picture and What Vermonters Can Do
The evidence strongly indicates that the BETA and UVM grants were not canceled on their individual merits. Instead, they were casualties of a national, politically motivated strategy to punish “blue states” and dismantle clean energy initiatives, regardless of their strategic or community value.
For Vermonters seeking to understand the issue and decide on the best path forward, several key questions remain unanswered:
- Where is the proof? The administration never released the documents from its supposed “individualized financial review.”
- Did Vermont appeal? It is unknown if BETA or UVM used the 30-day window to appeal the decision.
- What is the long-term impact? The full effect on jobs, innovation, and Vermont’s tech sector is yet to be determined.
By looking beyond the initial headline, it becomes clear that this was not just a story about two canceled grants, but about how national politics can directly impact Vermont’s future in innovation, community planning, and even national security.
Compass Vermont is an independent, native publication focused on a collaborative resource model. This ensures thorough research and reporting that serves every resident, not just specific interest groups.