Trump-Appointed Judge Smacks Down EPA’s Termination of Clean Energy Grants
This story was originally published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. A federal judge has declared that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated $7 billion in grant funding for clean energy programs in disadvantaged communities. The Solar for All (SFA) program, established during the Biden administration as part of the […]
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully canceled $7 billion in clean energy grant funding for disadvantaged communities. The Solar for All (SFA) program, initiated under President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, allocated grants to states, municipalities, tribes, and nonprofits for reducing electric bills, creating jobs, and addressing climate change.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) terminated the SFA program upon President Trump's inauguration. The lawsuit, filed by the Conservation Law Foundation, Southern Environmental Law Center, Lawyers for Good Government, and Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island, alleged the termination violated congressional intent to maintain the program's administration.
Judge Mary S. McElroy, a Trump appointee, affirmed that the EPA acted contrary to congressional intent when it terminated the SFA program without proper statutory authority. The ruling mandates the EPA to release the funds, according to Nick Torrey, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted in 2025, repealed unobligated funding intended for greenhouse gas emissions, though the SFA funding was not unobligated.
The EPA argued it lacked jurisdiction over the plaintiffs' claims, but the court disagreed. The program awarded grants in 2024, promising to save families $350 million annually on electricity bills and support 200,000 jobs. The termination occurred before funds could reach grant recipients, including nonprofits in Florida and Rhode Island.
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