32 U.S. senators demand EPA reinstate Solar for All, calling termination ‘reckless and unlawful’
Lawmakers join growing backlash as legal challenges mount to restore the $7 billion program designed to deliver solar access and bill relief for low-income households
The political fallout from the EPA’s termination of the $7 billion Solar for All program continues to escalate. This week, 32 U.S. senators sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, condemning the decision as “unlawful” and urging the agency to immediately reinstate the low-income solar initiative.
“Your agency’s decision to terminate Solar for All is not only unlawful—given this funding was congressionally appropriated and fully obligated—but also ill-timed,” the senators wrote. “Energy bills are soaring across the country and millions of families are facing higher living costs.”
The lawmakers argue that the program was designed to slash household electricity bills by at least 20% for 900,000 families nationwide, with savings potentially reaching 80% for some rooftop solar participants. They also noted that electricity prices have risen 6.2% year over year, underscoring the urgent need for affordable, distributed energy solutions.
“EPA’s reckless decision to terminate Solar for All directly undermines efforts by Congress to reduce energy costs and improve grid resilience,” the letter continues. “It jeopardizes economic investments and inflicts severe job losses across the country while undermining the trust and financial certainty that communities, businesses, and local governments have placed in the federal government.”
The senators called the move “a breach of trust” that has left states, tribes, and local programs in limbo, and demanded a full accounting of how EPA plans to repair the damage.
Senators who signed the letter (all Democrats except those noted independent)
- Michael Bennet (Colorado)
- Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut)
- Lisa Blunt Rochester (Delaware)
- Cory Booker (New Jersey)
- Tammy Duckworth (Illinois)
- Dick Durbin (Illinois)
- Ruben Gallego (Arizona)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (New York)
- Martin Heinrich (New Mexico)
- John Hickenlooper (Colorado)
- Mazie Hirono (Hawaii)
- Tim Kaine (Virginia)
- Mark Kelly (Arizona)
- Andy Kim (New Jersey)
- Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota)
- Ben Ray Luján (New Mexico)
- Ed Markey (Massachusetts)
- Jeff Merkley (Oregon)
- Patty Murray (Washington)
- Alex Padilla (California)
- Gary Peters (Michigan)
- Jack Reed (Rhode Island)
- Bernie Sanders (Vermont) – independent
- Adam Schiff (California)
- Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
- Tina Smith (Minnesota)
- Chris Van Hollen (Maryland)
- Mark Warner (Virginia)
- Raphael Warnock (Georgia)
- Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts)
- Peter Welch (Vermont) – independent
- Ron Wyden (Oregon)
Lawsuit already filed to restore the program
The letter follows a federal lawsuit filed earlier this month by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Lawyers for Good Government, the Conservation Law Foundation, and the Lawyers Committee for Rhode Island. The suit seeks to reverse what plaintiffs call the administration’s “illegal termination” of Solar for All and restore its full funding.
The plaintiffs — including the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, Solar United Neighbors, solar businesses, and an individual homeowner in Georgia — argue that the program’s abrupt end violated congressional intent and has disrupted hundreds of local projects.
“Families all over the country were counting on energy bill relief that disappeared overnight when the administration unlawfully terminated Solar for All,” said Nick Torrey, senior attorney at SELC. “We’re asking the court to fix the Trump administration’s huge mistake.”
The government’s response is due 60 days after being served.
Billions in clean energy investment at risk
Created under the Inflation Reduction Act, Solar for All awarded $7 billion in grants to states, tribes, and nonprofits in 2024. The program was intended to reduce household electricity costs by at least 20%, create more than 200,000 jobs, and deliver over $350 million in annual energy savings to low-income communities.
In July, the EPA notified all 60 grantees that the program would be discontinued, citing a lack of legal authority following the passage of the administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill (HR1).
But according to the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA), that rationale doesn’t hold up. “EPA not only still possesses the legal authority to administer the Solar for All program, but is required by Congress to do so,” CESA wrote to members. “HR1 did not terminate the Solar for All program. Neither the language in the statute nor the congressional record support termination.”
All $7 billion in funding, CESA noted, had already been obligated by September 2024 — a key legal distinction meaning the funds were committed before HR1 became law.
Local impacts already being felt
Solar Builder’s Solar for None reporting has documented how the cancellation upended plans for community groups, installers, and nonprofits.
Organizations like Solar United Neighbors (SUN), GRID Alternatives, and Indigenized Energy had begun implementing regional programs that would have brought rooftop and community solar to tens of thousands of low-income households, while supporting apprenticeship pipelines and union jobs.
In Appalachia, advocates estimate the cut “undermines good work for more than 6,000 residents” and prevents solar installation on more than 150,000 low-income homes, eliminating an estimated $70 million in household savings.
“This program would provide families with low incomes access to clean, affordable solar power — energy that lowers bills, improves air quality, and keeps people safer during extreme heat,” said Kate Sinding Daly, senior vice president for law and policy at the Conservation Law Foundation. “Stripping those benefits away is unlawful and betrays communities.”
What’s next
Between the legal challenge and mounting congressional pressure, the future of Solar for All remains uncertain. For now, program grantees — including state energy offices, tribal organizations, and local nonprofits — are waiting to see whether the courts or Congress can force EPA to restart the initiative.
“The American people deserve transparency, accountability, and a government that honors its commitments,” the senators concluded in their letter. “We look forward to your prompt response and action.”
