From Mother Jones · Amy Green · · 1m 20s
Trump judge blocks EPA's kill of clean energy grants
A federal judge ruled the Trump administration illegally terminated $7 billion in solar and clean energy funding for disadvantaged communities.
In brief
A federal judge ruled the Trump administration illegally terminated $7 billion in solar and clean energy funding for disadvantaged communities. The EPA must release billions in clean energy grants it tried to cancel, despite the Trump administration's plans to appeal. Originally reported by Mother Jones.
Judge blocks EPA's grant termination
A Trump-appointed federal judge ruled the EPA unlawfully canceled $7 billion in clean energy grants for disadvantaged communities established under Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.
“Congress's clear intent was that EPA continue to administer the already obligated SFA grants.”
What Solar for All did
The program provided grants to states, cities, tribes and nonprofits to reduce electric bills, create jobs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions in low-income areas.
EPA canceled it after Trump took office
The Environmental Protection Agency terminated the program after President Trump's inauguration in 2025, before most funding reached communities.
The legal argument that won
Environmental groups sued, arguing Congress's One Big Beautiful Bill only repealed unobligated funding, but these grants were already obligated in 2024.
EPA must release the money
The ruling means the EPA will have to distribute the $7 billion in grants, though the agency says it is reviewing the decision and considering an appeal.
“They don't have any excuse for sitting on this money anymore.”
Who sued and who won
The Conservation Law Foundation, Southern Environmental Law Center, and other groups sued on behalf of solar companies, labor unions, and nonprofits harmed by the funding withdrawal.
What matters most
The EPA must release billions in clean energy grants it tried to cancel, despite the Trump administration's plans to appeal.
