California Attorney General Rob Bonta, alongside the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), today joined a multistate coalition in suing to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s unlawful termination of the $7 billion Solar for All Program. EPA’s termination of the program denies states of critical funds they were depending on for solar energy in low-income and disadvantaged communities nationwide. The program would have helped provide solar energy in their neighborhoods, lowering their electricity bills and creating well-paying union jobs. In a pair of lawsuits, the coalition argues that the EPA’s abrupt termination of the Solar for All Program breached its contractual obligations to the states, that it unlawfully revoked funds that Congress had already obligated, and asks separate courts to declare the terminations unlawful, restore the funding, and reinstate the Solar for All Program.

“At a time when energy bills are at a record high and only continuing to skyrocket, the Trump Administration is needlessly hampering an industry that can produce safe, reliable, and inexpensive energy,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Solar for All was built to deliver relief for all Americans — by lowering energy bills for working families, reducing our carbon footprint, and creating high-quality union jobs that would bolster our economy. We will not let this illegal termination of the Solar for All Program stand. This Administration can try all they want to bend the law, but we will hold them accountable. Every time.”