A coalition of more than two dozen Democratic states and the District of Columbia sued President Donald Trump’s administration in two courts over the cancellation of a $7 billion grant program designed to help low-income families install solar panels on their homes.
The two legal complaints accuse the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of illegally canceling the Solar for All Program by breaching its contractual obligations to the states.
The states have asked the United States Court of Federal Claims to reverse the cancellation of the $7 billion that Congress had already committed in 2022. They have also asked a federal court in Washington state to declare the blocking of the subsidies illegal, restore the funding and the program.
Also read: Business group sues Trump government over new fee for H-1B visas
The program, granted in the Administration of President Joe Biden (2021-2025) within the framework of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund aimed at addressing climate change, allocated funds last year to 60 beneficiaries, including states, tribes, regions and nonprofit organizations.
In August, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the cancellation of the program by “falsely” claiming that the agency no longer had legal authority to administer the funds, the plaintiffs charge.
If sustained, cancellation of this program would threaten the ability of more than 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities across the country to access low-cost solar energy and, as a result, reduce their electricity bills.
Blocking the grant would slow progress in clean energy adoption nationwide, especially in underserved communities, the lawsuit alleges.
“The Solar for All Program was created to provide relief to all Americans, reducing working families’ energy bills, reducing our carbon footprint, and creating high-quality union jobs that would boost our economy,” California Attorney Rob Bonta, who is part of the lawsuit, said in a statement.
The prosecutor warned that together with the other states, the majority led by Democrats, they will fight to stop “the distorted interpretation” that the Trump Government makes of the law.
In addition to California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia joined in the lawsuit, as well as the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
With information from EFE
Follow us on Google News to always stay informed
