Oregon and Washington have joined nearly two dozen states suing the Environmental Protection Agency for the Trump administration’s decision to terminate the $7 billion Solar For All grant.
This litigation follows the Oregon Department of Energy’s decision to send a letter to the EPA last month asking the agency to reverse its decision.
The Solar For All program was intended to help lower-income households as well as residents of rural areas get easy access to rooftop solar at little to no cost. The program also aimed to provide rebates for solar on multi-family buildings, and would develop more community solar projects that would benefit low-income households.
FILE - Solar panels on homes constructed by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, photographed Dec. 11, 2023, in Grand Ronde, Ore. Oregon, Washington and nearly two other states are suing the Environmental Protection Agency over cuts to a program that would have funded more solar installations across the country.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
The EPA awarded Oregon, along with Energy Trust of Oregon and Bonneville Environmental Foundation, nearly $87 million through a competitive process.
The funds would have helped more than 7,700 low-income households, saving them over $83 million, according to the Oregon Department of Energy.
Washington was awarded another $156 million for qualifying solar projects in that state.
But in August, the federal agency terminated the program, claiming “EPA no longer has the authority to administer the program or appropriate the funds” to keep the program running.
Now, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfied and Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown have joined leaders from 22 other states who are filing two lawsuits against the Trump administration challenging cuts to the Solar for All Program.
In the first lawsuit, the states argue it was illegal to end the program. The second asks for damages from breach of contract.
“Working families are already feeling the strain of rising energy costs — and blocking Oregon’s clean energy programs only makes that worse,” Rayfield said in a statement. “This funding wasn’t just about protecting the environment; it was about lowering bills, creating jobs, helping communities transition to cleaner, more affordable power.”
Related: Oregon awarded nearly $87 million to increase solar adopting in low-income communities
The Trump administration’s decision to terminate the program follows the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. But under the bill, Congress allowed for unobligated funds, money not contractually awarded from the program, to be rescinded.
Obligated funds, like the $87 million awarded to Oregon and other states, were not to be affected.
But since Day 1 in office, President Donald Trump has worked to rescind federal funding for renewable energy and climate action programs.
Some of the funds awarded to Oregon were slated for:
- $29 million for solar installations at single-family households, with little to no upfront customer cost.
- $10.86 million for solar for multifamily buildings that provide tangible benefits to low-income residents.
- $15 million for financial and technical assistance to develop community solar projects under the Oregon Community Solar Program.
- $11 million for financial and technical assistance to develop Consumer-owned Utility Territory Community Solar projects.
- $2.87 million for workforce development activities.
According to the Oregon Department of Energy, about $500,000 has already been spent to get the program started.
Correction: The Oregon Department of Energy sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency last month asking the EPA to reserves its decision to cut Solar for All funds. An earlier version of this story was incorrect about which state agency sent that letter. OPB regrets the error.
