On May 7, a coalition of 17 states, including California, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. They allege that the federal government unlawfully withheld billions of dollars that were designated for the construction of electric vehicle charging stations in these states.
This lawsuit follows the suspension of the electric vehicle charging station program by the U.S. Department of Transportation in February. The department revoked approvals for related state plans pending further review. This action is among the first policies implemented by Trump since his return to the White House, aimed at cutting subsidies for electric vehicles and reducing government spending in related areas.
The charging station program is part of former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. Senate Democrats claim that Trump has withheld over $3 billion from this initiative. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington State, with participation from jurisdictions including the District of Columbia, New York, New Jersey, and Colorado. These states argue that Trump’s decision “will significantly undermine the ability of states to build charging infrastructure, which is critical for increasing consumer adoption of electric vehicles, addressing climate change, reducing harmful pollution, and supporting green economies.”
As of now, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has not commented on the matter. Since taking office in January, Trump has moved to reverse many of the Biden administration’s policies that promote the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy and address climate change. Trump advocates for the revival of coal-fired power plants and increased domestic oil exploration and production.
Additionally, he has targeted electric vehicles by halting the distribution of funds from the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund for charging station deployment and rescinding Biden’s directive that aimed for half of all new vehicle sales in the U.S. to be electric by 2030.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/trump-administration-sued-by-17-states-over-suspension-of-electric-vehicle-charging-station-funding/
