Nationwide, Solar for All is expected to save an estimated $350 million annually on energy bills and generate 200,000 new jobs. Photo: Shutterstock
September 18, 2026 (Boston, MA) – A federal judge has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency unlawfully canceled the $7 billion Solar for All program, striking down the agency’s decision to end a nationwide program designed to lower electricity bills and bring affordable solar power to families and communities across the country.
“Clean, affordable power like solar shouldn’t be a closed-door luxury,” said Alex St. Pierre, vice president for environmental justice at Conservation Law Foundation (CLF). “Solar for All was built to open that door, and EPA tried to slam it shut. Today’s ruling pushes it back open. Communities have waited long enough. 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.”
“The court ruled the Trump Administration never should have terminated Solar for All because Congress intended it to continue, and EPA broke the law when it killed the program and pocketed the money,” said Southern Environmental Law Center Senior Attorney Nick Torrey. “Electricity bills are skyrocketing, so low-cost solar projects — which guarantee big savings — are needed now more than ever. Today’s victory means EPA must stop sitting on the $7 billion in funding for this program and start getting it out into communities to provide hardworking American families much-needed relief.”
“Today’s ruling confirms what we have argued from the beginning: EPA cannot erase a $7 billion program that Congress created and funded. For more than a year, families and communities have seen higher energy bills while billions of dollars intended to lower electricity costs sat out of reach. Today’s decision makes clear that EPA unlawfully terminated the Solar for All Program,” said Jillian Blanchard, Senior Vice President of Climate Change and Environmental Justice at L4GG.
In 2024, the EPA awarded $7 billion for “Solar for All,” estimating the program would reach more than 900,000 households, save families $350 million a year on electricity bills, and support 200,000 jobs and workforce training opportunities.
In August 2025, the Trump administration abruptly canceled the program before much of that funding could reach communities. CLF, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), and the Lawyers Committee for Rhode Island, filed the lawsuit last October on behalf of workers, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals harmed by EPA’s cancellation. Plaintiffs include the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, Rhode Island Center for Justice, Solar United Neighbors, an individual homeowner, and solar businesses.
The full ruling can be read here.
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