A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the Trump administration illegally canceled the $7 billion Solar for All program. This program was designed to provide access to solar energy for over 900,000 low-income Americans.
Cancellation of the Program and Legal Reasons
The Trump administration canceled the Solar for All budget in August 2025 due to the passage of tax legislation and its massive expenditures in Congress. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called the Biden-era grant program "a financial trap." District Judge Mary McElroy stated in her ruling that Congress clearly intended for the EPA to continue managing the Solar for All grant it had previously committed to. She added that the EPA canceled the program contrary to this intent and without any other legal authority.
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Reactions to the Court Ruling
The EPA announced on Friday that it is reviewing the decision and considering its options for appeal. The lawsuit filed in Rhode Island by the Rhode Island AFL-CIO labor organization and other groups, including the Rhode Island Justice Center and the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors, emphasized the importance of this program for the local workforce and low-income communities.
Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, called the decision "a major victory" for states across the country, adding, "If and when the program is back up and running, it will create thousands of union jobs across the United States."
Alex St. Pierre, deputy environmental justice director at the Conservation Law Foundation, one of the nonprofit legal groups representing the plaintiffs, said, "Clean and affordable power like solar energy should not be a luxury." He added, "Communities have waited long enough, and this money should go where Congress intended: towards reducing energy costs, reducing climate pollution, creating good jobs, and cleaner air."
In May, for the first time, solar energy provided more electricity for the nation than coal. The Trump administration has targeted several clean energy-related programs. The Solar for All program was part of a $27 billion "Green Bank" established under climate change legislation.
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Source: abcnews.com
