(Reuters) -Nearly two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its cancellation of a $7 billion grant program aimed at expanding solar energy in low-income communities, according to court papers.
In a statement on Thursday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced two lawsuits by a group of states that received grants under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All program.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the termination of the program in August. The agency said in an email that it would not comment on pending litigation.
The first complaint seeks money damages and was filed Wednesday in the Court of Federal Claims. A second suit will seek reinstatement of the program and is expected to be filed later on Thursday in federal court in Washington state, Bonta’s statement said.
In addition to California, states participating in the lawsuits include Maryland, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the city of Washington D.C.
The complaints come ten days after a group of solar companies and labor unions also sued to restore the program.
(Reporting by Nichola GroomEditing by Nick Zieminski)
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