The group of plaintiffs -- made up of solar energy companies, labor unions and homeowners -- filed the lawsuit in federal court in Rhode Island. They accused the EPA of ending the program, in violation of federal law, that would have helped them save on energy costs.
Solar for All was "expected to save an estimated $350 million annually on energy bills during and after the five-year program, providing energy bill relief for more than 900,000 low-income and disadvantaged households," the plaintiffs' lawyers wrote.
The program was "expected to secure 4,000 megawatts of new solar energy over five years and generate 200,000 new jobs," according to the complaint.
Solar for All was established with the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which granted $27 billion to make buildings more energy efficient and to install electric vehicle charging stations.
In Monday's complaint, the plaintiffs accused the Trump administration of trying to recapture the billions of congressionally approved dollars in climate funding that was approved during the Biden administration. They are asking a jury to issue an injunction and force the EPA to reinstate the Solar for All program.
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said Trump's domestic policy bill, passed in July, canceled "billions of green slush fund dollars" for Solar for All.
"The bottom line again is this: EPA no longer has the authority to administer the program or the appropriated funds to keep this boondoggle alive," Zeldin added.
The plaintiffs also claim Trump's EPA has violated the separation of powers by blocking congressionally approved funding.
"EPA has taken steps to close out grants and claw back obligated funds," forcing layoffs, the complaint states.
"It's not just a one-two punch to the workforce that I represent," said Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.
"It really is a one-two punch to the entire state of Rhode Island because our energy costs need to be controlled, and renewable energy sources like solar and wind are a key component of that."
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