In a dramatic showdown over America’s clean energy future, California and 15 other states have launched a legal assault against the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully freezing billions in funding meant to supercharge the nation’s electric vehicle infrastructure.
Filed in U.S. District Court in Washington State, the lawsuit aims to pry loose more than $3 billion that states say they were awarded to build EV charging stations—money that abruptly vanished when the U.S. Department of Transportation hit pause on the program in February. The department, now under Trump-aligned leadership, rescinded its prior approval of state plans and launched what it called a “review.”
The legal offensive isn’t just about money. It’s a full-frontal response to what the suing states describe as a calculated attempt to undermine the green energy momentum sparked during the previous administration. With the lawsuit also backed by the District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, Colorado, and others, officials warn that the freeze could sabotage their efforts to make electric vehicles more accessible, cut pollution, and strengthen local clean energy economies.
“This move cripples our ability to build the future,” the states argued in the complaint, calling it a direct blow to climate progress and consumer choice.
Since retaking office in January, Trump has been aggressively dismantling his predecessor’s environmental agenda. He has championed fossil fuels, revived talk of coal power, and prioritized oil production over sustainability. In one of his first moves, he halted the distribution of funds from the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program—one of the cornerstones of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
The halt came despite warnings from automakers and EV charging companies, who pleaded with the administration earlier this year to unlock the money. Industry groups cautioned that the stall would derail momentum in a sector that’s already battling range anxiety, outdated grids, and uneven charging access across rural and urban America.
Trump has also pulled the plug on a 2021 executive order that aimed for half of all new U.S. vehicles to be electric by 2030. On top of that, he’s urged an end to zero-emission vehicle mandates at the state level and called for cutting off funding for California’s high-speed rail ambitions.
The Transportation Department declined to comment on the pending litigation. But the message from the states is clear: they’re not waiting quietly while the plug gets pulled on America’s electric future.
