Solar Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Termination of $7 Billion Clean Energy Grants

A coalition of labor unions, nonprofits, and solar companies has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration for cancelling a $7 billion grant program designed to expand solar energy access in low-income communities. The complaint, lodged in Rhode Island, accuses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its administrator, Lee Zeldin, of unlawfully rescinding grants that had been awarded in 2024 to 60 nonprofit groups, tribes, and states under the Biden-era “Solar for All” initiative. Plaintiffs include the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, Solar United Neighbors, the Rhode Island Center for Justice, and several solar firms from Georgia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. The groups argue that while they were not direct recipients, they stood to benefit through planned solar installations and community energy projects. Zeldin defended the decision in August, claiming he no longer had the authority to manage the program. The EPA declined to comment on the pending litigation.