Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, in step with attorneys general from 22 other states, has taken legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Administrator Lee Zeldin. This move challenges the termination of a program that was poised to bring affordable solar energy to more than 900,000 low-income households nationwide. According to the Michigan Department of Attorney General, the $7 billion 'Solar for All' initiative was axed by the EPA in what is being called an illegal act, potentially leaving many projects that were underway in the lurch.
Following an apparently precedented move of canceling congressionally mandated programs, the Trump administration has been accused by Nessel and her cohorts of unlawful actions. The administration's playbook includes ending the 'Solar for All' program and subsequently attempting to reclaim already dispersed funds, a tactic that has not gone unobserved in prior episodes. "The Trump Administration’s decision to illegally rescind congressionally approved grants – funds that were already being put to work in our communities – is unlawful and deeply harmful," Nessel told Michigan's AG Office. She expressed determination to thwart these efforts as has been done in the past.
Michigan's own endeavors under the 'Solar for All' were significant, with approximately $156 million earmarked by the EPA for the state. With the program now cut, 13 pilot projects announced by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy face an uncertain future. These endeavors, aimed at lower-income and underserved communities, have been forced into an abrupt halt, denying Michiganders both cost savings and the anticipated environmental benefits of transitioning to solar power. "This program is a critical investment in our state’s energy future," said Phil Roos, Director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, emphasizing the potential of the program for energy cost reduction and job creation in a statement entwined with ambition and now frustration, per the AG's Office.
