Federal Judge Halts $7B EPA Solar Program in Massachusetts
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A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to withdraw $7 billion from a solar energy program for low income energy consumers in states including Massachusetts. The “Solar for All” program, legislated as part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act in 2023, was intended to provide solar energy grants and funding to support low income households and reduce climate pollution. However, under the Trump administration, the EPA has been seeking to terminate the program, alleging that it was exploited by unscrupulous companies.
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Federal Judge Thwarts Trump Administration’s Attempt to Reclaim $7 Billion from Solar Energy Program
A U.S. District Court judge has put a halt to the Trump administration’s efforts to retrieve $7 billion from the Solar for All program, an initiative aimed at low-income energy consumers in Massachusetts and other states. The decision by Judge Mary McElroy supports the assertions made by green groups, which stated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was in violation of federal law and the Administrative Procedures Act when it decided to terminate the program.
Congress approved the Solar for All program in 2023 as part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. A coalition of environmental organizations, solar companies, and labor unions filed a lawsuit last year arguing against the termination of the program. They argued in court that ending the program had adverse financial effects on their operations and reduced their granted funds.
Alex St. Pierre, vice president for environmental justice at the Conservation Law Foundation, which was among the groups that sued to halt the changes, said in a statement, “Clean, affordable power like solar shouldn’t be a closed-door luxury. Solar for All was built to open that door, and EPA tried to slam it shut. Nearly every family is looking for ways to cut their energy bill. These dollars should go where Congress intended: toward lower energy bills, less climate pollution, good jobs, and cleaner air.”
A similar lawsuit was filed by Massachusetts and two dozen other Democratic-led states. They argued that the EPA was overreaching its authority to retrieve federal money previously approved by Congress for the solar program. The EPA, under Administrator Lee Zeldin, terminated the program, branding it as a “boondoggle” ridden with “grift” from companies exploiting the federally funded grants.
Massachusetts was set to receive $156 million from the grant program. State officials note that this funding would have lowered energy bills for many low-income consumers, created jobs with good pay, and added 125 megawatts of solar power to the state’s clean-energy mix. The program also allocated grants to financial institutions funding solar and battery projects as well as to installers and project developers.
The Biden administration projected that the program would result in over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for low-income households, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent—comparable to removing 7 million cars from the nation’s roads.
Despite the Trump administration’s move to end the federal government’s support for renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which it argues are too expensive for consumers, Massachusetts continues its effort to diversify its energy mix through solar power. Governor Maura Healey has pledged to continue advancing the state’s net metering program and other initiatives. Last year, Healey and state environmental officials unveiled an updated solar incentive program, Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target 3.0, which, they say, will lower energy costs by $300 million by bringing more affordable energy into the state.
Christian M. Wade, who covers Massachusetts state government and politics for CNHI News and North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites, can be reached at cwade@cnhinews.com.
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