Bloomberg-backed climate fellowship program shuts down amid investigations

The State Energy and Environmental Impact Center, created with dual $2.8 million grants from the Bloomberg Family Foundation in 2017, embedded salaried climate-focused fellows in Democratic-led attorney general offices nationwide, including Washington, D.C., and a minimum of ten states. Lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee launched an inquiry last year, contending that the initiative masked a partisan agenda under the guise of charitable giving.

The committee’s report suggested the program was designed to bypass legislative oversight and push specific climate policies. Under growing scrutiny, the center quietly terminated its operations in late August. Daniel Turner, executive director of the industry group Power the Future, denounced the effort as a billionaire’s attempt to raise costs for working Americans while bolstering his climate legacy. The closure comes as broader investigations into Bloomberg-funded climate activism intensify.