Hey, if Colorado wants to do this they can tax their own people, right? The Polis administration needs the money to meet its goals for reducing greenhouse gas pollution. The big picture: The directive from White House budget chief Russ Vought and the Energy Department — led by Denver energy company executive Chris Wright — specifically targets 223 projects in 16 Democratic states. Zoom in: In Colorado, at least 34 projects worth more than a half-billion dollars are being canceled. That includes money awarded to the state’s energy office, universities and energy companies, Colorado officials said.