Trump’s EPA must reinstate $7 billion grant program for solar panels, judge rules

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🗞️ Driving the news: A US federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration’s EPA unlawfully terminated the $7 billion Solar for All grant program and must reinstate the previously awarded grants
• The program, created under the Inflation Reduction Act, supports solar projects for low- and moderate-income households and communities

🔭 The context: The EPA awarded almost $7 billion to 60 recipients in 2024, covering states, nonprofits, Tribal communities and municipalities, with the aim of expanding distributed solar in underserved communities
• EPA estimates at the time projected that the program could benefit more than 900,000 households, unlock over 4 GW of solar capacity and reduce about 30 million metric tonnes of CO₂e over five years

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Reinstating the grants could accelerate distributed solar deployment, replacing some fossil-fuel-based electricity and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions
• It could also improve energy resilience by expanding local generation in communities that have historically had less access to clean-energy investment

⏭️ What’s next: The EPA is considering whether to appeal the ruling, while the court decision requires the termination of the existing grants to be reversed
• Separate legal disputes over the cancellation and related financial losses are also continuing

💬 One quote: “EPA cannot erase a $7 billion program that Congress created and funded.” — Jillian Blanchard, Lawyers for Good Government

📈 One stat: The amount of $7 billion was awarded through Solar for All to expand access to distributed solar in low-income and disadvantaged communities

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