States, Cities and Counties
Here's a look at documents covering state government, cities and counties
Featured Stories
N.J. A.G. Platkin Joins Challenge to EPA's Attacks On Affordable Clean Energy For Low-Income Households
TRENTON, New Jersey, Oct. 17 -- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2025:
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Attorney General Platkin Joins Challenge to EPA's Attacks On Affordable Clean Energy For Low-Income Households
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and 22 other plaintiffs are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for illegally ending a $7 billion program that lowers energy costs and pollution by bringing solar energy to more than 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities across
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TRENTON, New Jersey, Oct. 17 -- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2025:
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Attorney General Platkin Joins Challenge to EPA's Attacks On Affordable Clean Energy For Low-Income Households
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and 22 other plaintiffs are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for illegally ending a $7 billion program that lowers energy costs and pollution by bringing solar energy to more than 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities acrossthe country.
"The Trump Administration's anti-environmental agenda is not only extreme and harmful, but also completely lawless," said Attorney General Platkin. "The President and his appointees cannot simply eliminate Congressionally-authorized programs on a whim. The Solar for All program was set to bring community solar projects that would help reduce the cost of energy for New Jerseyans most in need, until President Trump and his lackey EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin illegally terminated billions of dollars in mandatory funding under the Inflation Reduction Act. We are taking the Administration to court, and we will win."
"We applaud Attorney General Platkin for standing up for New Jersey's working families and joining other states to fight the Trump Administration's reckless decision to terminate the Solar for All program," said New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Ed Potosnak. "New Jersey was awarded over $156 million to expand access to solar energy and lower bills for low-income and disadvantaged households. Solar is now the cheapest form of energy available, the fastest energy to get built, and the heathiest--and at a time when utility bills are rising and families are struggling to pay their bills, ending this program raising electricity prices further is literally taking money out of families' pockets. Every New Jerseyan deserves access to affordable, clean power that lowers bills, improves health, and protects our shared future."
Congress created the Solar for All program in 2022 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, directing EPA to make competitive grants to states and other entities to deploy solar projects in low-income and disadvantaged areas. EPA selected recipients and awarded all of the program funds to plaintiff states and other grant recipients by August 2024. New Jersey and the other plaintiffs moved forward with planning projects and working with stakeholders to develop their solar programs.
But EPA abruptly and unlawfully terminated the program two months ago and clawed back the vast majority of the money already awarded. That has left New Jersey and the other plaintiffs without access to the funds to proceed with their solar programs, after the states spent significant time planning and launching programs and committing state funds.
When President Trump took office this past January, he prioritized fossil fuel extraction to address an alleged "energy emergency" while arbitrarily excluding solar power as a resource that can be tapped to meet the country's energy needs. In July, Congress passed the president's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," rescinding funds for the Solar for All program that were unobligated as of July 3. The effect of that move was small, given that EPA had obligated all of the $7 billion for the program nearly a year earlier.
But instead of following that newly passed law, EPA and Zeldin illegally terminated the entire program on August 7 in violation of federal law. On social media, Zeldin made baseless accusations, calling Solar for All a "boondoggle." The agency then sent memos to all recipients, including the plaintiffs, saying EPA no longer has a "statutory basis or dedicated funding" for the program, even though Congress never directed EPA to cancel funds that had already been awarded. In fact, Congress did the opposite by only rescinding unobligated funds for Solar for All.
Attorney General Platkin and a multistate coalition are filing a lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleging, among other things, that the EPA violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution's Separation of Powers Doctrine in unlawfully canceling the program. New Jersey and 23 other grant recipients also filed suit yesterday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. In that complaint, the states and other entities argue the EPA breached the clear terms of the agreements and violated the duty of good faith and fair dealing in canceling their Solar for All grants. They're asking the court to award the plaintiffs money damages, interest, and fees.
In the Western District of Washington suit, the attorneys general of Arizona, Minnesota, and Washington are leading the complaint, which was joined by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawai'i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Also joining the complaint are the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
In the Court of Federal Claims suit, the attorneys general of Maryland and Arizona are leading the complaint, which was also joined by the attorneys general in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawai'i, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Also joining the complaint are the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
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Original text here: https://www.njoag.gov/attorney-general-platkin-joins-challenge-to-epas-attacks-on-affordable-clean-energy-for-low-income-households/
MDA Expands Ag Weather Network With Three New Stations
ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 17 -- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture issued the following news on Oct. 16, 2025:
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MDA Expands Ag Weather Network with Three New Stations
Installations enhance coverage areas, local data for Minnesota farmers
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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is expanding its Minnesota Ag Weather Network (MAWN) with the launch of three new weather stations spanning Southern Minnesota--a critical step in strengthening data coverage for producers statewide.
This strategic expansion helps MAWN move closer to its goal of providing real-time, hyper-local environmental
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 17 -- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture issued the following news on Oct. 16, 2025:
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MDA Expands Ag Weather Network with Three New Stations
Installations enhance coverage areas, local data for Minnesota farmers
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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is expanding its Minnesota Ag Weather Network (MAWN) with the launch of three new weather stations spanning Southern Minnesota--a critical step in strengthening data coverage for producers statewide.
This strategic expansion helps MAWN move closer to its goal of providing real-time, hyper-local environmentaldata within a 20-mile radius of all agricultural land across the state. By closing coverage gaps, the network empowers producers with more accurate, site-specific information to guide decisions about irrigation, crop health, soil management, and water conservation.
Two of the new stations are in Southwest Minnesota, near Leota and Luverne in Rock County, the third is to the east, between Elkton and Adams in Mower County.
"These stations give farmers access to the weather data they've been missing," said Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen. "It's about providing tools that help producers protect their land, use water wisely, and adapt quickly to changing conditions."
Each MAWN station captures a wide range of real-time weather and soil data critical to farming operations:
* Rainfall
* Air temperature
* Wind speed and direction
* Dew point temperature
* Soil temperature (up to 7.5 feet deep)
* Soil moisture (up to 40 inches deep)
* Solar radiation
* Snow depth and snow water equivalent
In addition to raw data, the network provides science-based decision tools, including:
* Daily estimated crop water use
* Disease risk forecasts
* Irrigation scheduling recommendations
* Runoff risk predictions
MAWN is integrated into the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) to make all weather data and agronomic tools publicly available. Minnesota-based data can be accessed through the NDAWN Inversion App, or online at the North Dakota Ag Weather Network and NDAWN Central Minnesota Weather Network.
In 2023, the MDA received $3 million from Minnesota's Clean Water Fund to significantly expand the MAWN network. This funding supports the installation of about 40 new weather stations over three years in partnership with weather station hosts, local soil and water conservation districts, the University of Minnesota, and NDAWN. Nearly 20 new stations were added this year.
The MDA mapped out critical coverage areas for weather station locations but relies upon landowners willing to provide access to a small area of land for site placement. Landowners interested in hosting a weather station can learn more and complete the Minnesota Ag Weather Station Host application at www.mda.state.mn.us/weather-station-host.
To view real-time weather data or learn more about the Minnesota Ag Weather Network, visit: www.mda.state.mn.us/minnesota-ag-weather-network.
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Original text here: https://www.mda.state.mn.us/mda-expands-ag-weather-network-three-new-stations
Ga. Secretary of State Raffensperger's Partnership With Funding The Future Reaches Over 4,000 Georgia Students
ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 17 -- The Georgia Secretary of State issued the following news on Oct. 16, 2025:
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Raffensperger's Partnership with Funding The Future Reaches Over 4,000 Georgia Students
Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced the successful statewide partnership with nonprofit Funding the Future, bringing an innovative financial literacy experience to high schools across Georgia in September and October. 4,520 Georgia students attended across 16 events throughout the state.
Through this collaboration, students learned real-world money management skills delivered
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ATLANTA, Georgia, Oct. 17 -- The Georgia Secretary of State issued the following news on Oct. 16, 2025:
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Raffensperger's Partnership with Funding The Future Reaches Over 4,000 Georgia Students
Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced the successful statewide partnership with nonprofit Funding the Future, bringing an innovative financial literacy experience to high schools across Georgia in September and October. 4,520 Georgia students attended across 16 events throughout the state.
Through this collaboration, students learned real-world money management skills deliveredthrough live music and engaging storytelling from Americana artist Carter Hulsey. The Fall 2025 "Funding the Future" Georgia Tour, made possible by Secretary Raffensperger, visited more than a dozen schools across the state in September and October.
"Financial literacy is a critical life skill, and Funding The Future provides innovative ways for Georgia students to learn it," said Secretary Raffensperger. "By combining music and money management, we helped young Georgians make smart financial decisions today that will build a stronger Georgia tomorrow."
The live shows combined original music, powerful visuals, and real-world lessons about saving, spending, and planning for the future. Hulsey's personal stories of perseverance and growth helped connect financial concepts to students' own lives- making money management both memorable and meaningful.
Georgia Tour Stops
* Mon, Sept. 22 - T.W. Josey High School
* Mon, Sept. 22 - Lucy C. Laney High School
* Tues, Sept. 23 - A.R. Johnson Health Science & Engineering Magnet School
* Tues, Sept. 23 - Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School
* Wed, Sept. 24 - Glenn Hills High School
* Thurs, Sept. 25 - Academy of Richmond County High School
* Fri, Sept. 26 - Westside High School
* Mon, Sept. 29 - Cross Creek High School
* Mon, Sept. 29 - Hephzibah High School
* Tues, Sept. 30 - East Hall High School
* Wed, Oct. 1 - Butler High School
* Wed, Oct. 1 - Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School
* Thurs, Oct. 2 - Burke County High School
* Thurs, Oct. 2 - Burke County Middle School
* Fri, Oct. 3 - Academy of Classical Education
* Mon, Oct. 6 - Montgomery County Middle/High School
"Georgia is leading the way in preparing students for the financial realities of adulthood," Raffensperger added. "This partnership ensures our next generation understands how to save, budget, and invest in their own success."
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Original text here: https://sos.ga.gov/news/raffenspergers-partnership-funding-future-reaches-over-4000-georgia-students
Calif. Gov. Newsom Announces Affordable CalRx Insulin, $11 a Pen, Will Soon Be Available for Purchase
SACRAMENTO, California, Oct. 17 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release:
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Governor Newsom announces affordable CalRx(R) insulin, $11 a pen, will soon be available for purchase
What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced that California's CalRx(R) Insulin Glargine in pen form will be available to consumers for a suggested retail price of not more than $55 per five-pack of pens (average cost of $11 per pen) beginning January 1, 2026, reducing barriers to accessing this essential diabetes medication.
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As the first and only state contracting for its own
... Show Full Article
SACRAMENTO, California, Oct. 17 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release:
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Governor Newsom announces affordable CalRx(R) insulin, $11 a pen, will soon be available for purchase
What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced that California's CalRx(R) Insulin Glargine in pen form will be available to consumers for a suggested retail price of not more than $55 per five-pack of pens (average cost of $11 per pen) beginning January 1, 2026, reducing barriers to accessing this essential diabetes medication.
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As the first and only state contracting for its ownaffordable insulin, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that CalRx(R) biosimilar insulin glargine pens will be available to consumers in California beginning January 1, 2026. This launch marks a significant step in the state's ongoing effort to lower prescription drug prices and improve medication access statewide.
Through an agreement secured by Civica Rx -- a nonprofit generic drug manufacturer -- with Biocon Biologics, Californians will have access to an interchangeable biosimilar insulin glargine pen offered under the CalRx brand and pricing.
"California didn't wait for the pharmaceutical industry to do the right thing -- we took matters into our own hands. By beginning the process to manufacture our own insulin and pricing it at a maximum cost of $11 a pen in a five-pack, California and Civica are showing the nation what it looks like to put people over profits. No Californian should ever have to ration insulin or go into debt to stay alive -- and I won't stop until health care costs are crushed for everyone." - Governor Gavin Newsom
Insulin glargine is a long-acting insulin analog used in the management of diabetes. The CalRx insulin glargine pens are interchangeable with Lantus(R), ensuring seamless substitution for patients, and will be available to California pharmacies for $45 and to consumers at a suggested retail price of no more than $55 per five-pack of 3 mL pens--a substantial reduction from current retail market prices.
"We are grateful for the support of the state of California for our effort to bring affordable insulin to all Americans," said Ned McCoy, President and CEO of Civica. "The state shares our vision to ensure a sustainable, quality supply of affordable, essential medicines for people who need them."
"Today's action marks a significant milestone in California's ongoing efforts to reduce prescription drug costs," said California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Johnson. "Lowering the cost of insulin moves us closer to a California where no one is forced to choose between their health and their financial stability."
The insulin glargine pen agreement with Biocon Biologics complements Civica Rx's broader insulin development strategy. Civica Rx continues its ongoing efforts to independently produce interchangeable biosimilar versions of insulin glargine and rapid-acting insulin under the CalRx label, further solidifying a reliable and affordable insulin supply for Californians.
"California is taking action to tackle the insulin affordability crisis," said Elizabeth Landsberg, Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI). "We're committed to transparent pricing, eliminating hidden costs, and ensuring equitable medication access for uninsured, underinsured, and vulnerable residents across our state."
"In a moment where inflation is spiking everyday prices for Californians and our health care system is under attack in the form of Medicaid cuts from H.R. 1, a lower cost insulin will bring much needed relief both to California pocketbooks and our state budget," said member Chris Noble, Health Access California's Organizing Director and member of the CalRx Insulin Patient Advisory Council. "California consumers need relief now, so as a person dependent on insulin to live and a health care advocate, I'm relieved to see CalRx moving quickly to lower insulin costs for the people of California while continuing to pursue other needed prescription drug cost solutions."
"California's continued leadership in tackling insulin's broken market is a promising step forward," said Allison Hardt, T1 International's Community Development Director and member of the CalRx Advisory Council. "We celebrate progress that puts patients first and secures insulin at a stable, transparent price while encouraging bold next steps toward true public manufacturing--for people, not for profit."
CalRx initiative
The launch of CalRx-branded insulin is part of a broader strategy of the Governor's first executive order in 2019 to lower prescription drug costs and ensure fair and transparent pricing is accessible to all Californians. To date, no other state has taken action to procure its own affordable medication available for purchase to the public to compete with market-priced products.
Today's announcement builds on the successes of the CalRx Naloxone Access Initiative, which has successfully driven down the market price of naloxone, saving consumers money and helping the state purchase more of this life-saving medication to reverse opioid overdoses. The CalRx program continues to identify opportunities to make drugs more affordable and accessible in California.
Leading the way on affordable health care
Governor Newsom recently signed significant legislation advancing health care affordability by lowering the cost of prescription drugs, including:
* SB 40, capping consumer cost-sharing for insulin at $35 for a month-long supply.
* SB 41, reducing prescription drug prices by regulating the practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which negotiate prices between drug manufacturers, health care insurance providers, and pharmacies.
Since his first executive order in 2019, Governor Newsom has prioritized making health care more affordable to ensure that families do not have to pick between purchasing medications or having food on the table.
For more information on CalRx insulin, visit CalRx Biosimilar Insulin Initiative (https://calrx.ca.gov/biosimilar-insulin-initiative/).
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Original text here: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/16/governor-newsom-announces-affordable-calrx-insulin-11-a-pen-will-soon-be-available-for-purchase/
CDPHE Adds Measles to Public Wastewater Surveillance Dashboard
DENVER, Colorado, Oct. 17 -- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2025:
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CDPHE adds measles to public wastewater surveillance dashboard
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment today announced the addition of measles wastewater surveillance data to its publicly available Wastewater Surveillance Data Dashboard. The expansion follows a successful pilot program that demonstrated the effectiveness of wastewater surveillance as an early warning tool for detecting measles.
The pilot program, which began in May,
... Show Full Article
DENVER, Colorado, Oct. 17 -- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2025:
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CDPHE adds measles to public wastewater surveillance dashboard
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment today announced the addition of measles wastewater surveillance data to its publicly available Wastewater Surveillance Data Dashboard. The expansion follows a successful pilot program that demonstrated the effectiveness of wastewater surveillance as an early warning tool for detecting measles.
The pilot program, which began in May,allowed public health officials to evaluate the testing methods and develop protocols for using the data to support a timely public health response. While in the pilot phase, a measles wastewater signal was detected in Grand Junction before any clinical cases were confirmed. This allowed CDPHE to alert local health officials in Mesa County.
"The ability to detect viruses in wastewater before we see clinical cases allows us to be proactive in our public health response," said Allison Wheeler, Wastewater Surveillance Unit Manager at CDPHE. "This successful pilot gives us the confidence to make this information publicly available, providing Coloradans with another layer of information about disease in their communities."
The update aligns with recent updates to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measles wastewater dashboard and provides viral detection capacity for each area in the state. This information can assist health care providers and public health agencies in the allocation of resources and allows the general public to assess their risk of disease.
The addition of measles data expands the existing wastewater surveillance dashboard, which already provides information on a variety of viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), and mpox.
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Original text here: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/press-release/cdphe-adds-measles-to-public-wastewater-surveillance-dashboard
Arizona Corporation Commission: Commissioner Walden Votes to Strengthen Commission Oversight of Arizona's Transmission Grid
PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 17 -- The Arizona Corporation Commission issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2025:
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Commissioner Walden Votes to Strengthen Commission Oversight of Arizona's Transmission Grid
During the October 15, 2025 Open Meeting, Commissioner Rachel Walden voted to hold utilities accountable to provide the Arizona Corporation Commission with the information necessary to ensure our state's electric transmission grid is reliable. Arizona Revised Statute requires any developer or utility to provide information about their ten-year transmission plan to the Commission. However,
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PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 17 -- The Arizona Corporation Commission issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2025:
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Commissioner Walden Votes to Strengthen Commission Oversight of Arizona's Transmission Grid
During the October 15, 2025 Open Meeting, Commissioner Rachel Walden voted to hold utilities accountable to provide the Arizona Corporation Commission with the information necessary to ensure our state's electric transmission grid is reliable. Arizona Revised Statute requires any developer or utility to provide information about their ten-year transmission plan to the Commission. However,ensuring our grid is reliable and ready to meet our future energy needs requires that our utilities provide more information than has been required of them to submit from previous Commissioners spanning 26 years.
"Finding the least cost, most reliable model includes transmission, not just electricity generation. None of the answers from our state utilities today inspired any confidence in me that these issues are a priority," said Commissioner Walden. "I am not convinced that additional build out of renewables, while also having to add firm capacity as well as back up generation, is saving Arizonans money. I know that Arizonans are concerned with these issues, especially as we head into accelerated growth in our state. The Commissioners, as elected by the public, are faced with these questions and comments almost daily, and our actions are held accountable to the public."
Arizona utilities biennially file a Ten-Year Forecast for their transmission systems. The Thirteenth Biennial Assessment indicates a projected growth rate of approximately 3% per year each year for the next ten years between 2024 to 2033. This is slightly higher than has been forecasted in prior years' assessments. The Commission noted that as Arizona continues to deploy more renewables, the utilities must increasingly work together with neighboring utilities in other states to address new operational challenges that arise due to the addition of intermittent resources being added to our State's grid.
"Arizonan's will not bear the costs and impacts of supporting neighboring states' Green New Deal policies", Commissioner Walden stated emphatically.
"Ensuring our utilities have sufficient generation capacity to serve our customers during peak demand along with a reliable transmission grid to handle that capacity is paramount," said Commissioner Walden. "The Commission must ensure that any transmission or generation solutions to mitigate grid concerns, such as line congestion created by the interconnections from new generation sources, or offtakes from the grid by large customers such as data centers and hyperscalers, are borne by the creators of those grid concerns, not Arizona ratepayers."
Commissioner Walden introduced an amendment, which passed by a 5-0 vote, requiring utilities to submit business confidential reports to the Commission regarding line congestion on their systems, along with projections of load growth pockets on their systems to better enable the Commission to assess grid reliability and impacts of interconnection requests on the transmission grid as a whole.
Commissioner Walden supported and thanked Commissioner Lea Marquez-Peterson for her amendment, which would require that utilities submit reports on all grid enhancing efforts, such as line reconductoring, grid hardening, etc. that they perform on their systems.
"I will be watching the Biennial Transmission Assessments and Integrated Resource Plans closely, and investigating these issues in all future rate cases," concluded Commissioner Walden.
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Original text here: https://www.azcc.gov/news/home/2025/10/16/commissioner-walden-votes-to-strengthen-commission-oversight-of-arizona-s-transmission-grid
Ariz. A.G. Mayes Co-Leads Challenge to EPA's Attacks on Affordable, Clean Energy for Low-Income Households
PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 17 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2025:
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Attorney General Mayes Co-Leads Challenge to EPA's Attacks on Affordable, Clean Energy for Low-Income Households
Attorney General Kris Mayes and several other plaintiffs are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for illegally ending a $7 billion program that lowers energy costs and pollution by bringing solar energy to more than 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities across the country.
Arizona and
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PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 17 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2025:
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Attorney General Mayes Co-Leads Challenge to EPA's Attacks on Affordable, Clean Energy for Low-Income Households
Attorney General Kris Mayes and several other plaintiffs are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for illegally ending a $7 billion program that lowers energy costs and pollution by bringing solar energy to more than 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities across the country.
Arizona andother grant recipients also filed suit yesterday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to recover damages for EPA's unlawful breach of grant agreements that were executed under this program.
"Beyond the fact that this energy infrastructure funding has already been appropriated to our state and is owed to Arizonans, protecting solar projects and lower electricity bills is personal to me," said Attorney General Mayes. "Arizona families are already facing sky-high electricity bills, and I will not let the EPA wriggle out of its commitment to fund solar energy projects that would lower costs for more than 11,000 Arizona households."
Congress created the Solar for All program in 2022 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, directing EPA to make competitive grants to states and other entities to deploy solar projects in low-income and disadvantaged areas. EPA selected recipients and, by August 2024, had awarded all of the program funds to the plaintiff states and other grant recipients. Arizona and the other plaintiffs moved forward with planning projects and working with stakeholders to develop their solar programs.
But EPA abruptly and unlawfully terminated the program two months ago and clawed back the vast majority of the money already awarded. That has left Arizona and the other plaintiffs without access to the funds to proceed with their solar programs, after the states spent significant time and resources planning and launching programs. . In 2024, EPA awarded the state of Arizona a nearly $156 million grant to establish its Solar for All Arizonans program, designed to add affordable and reliable distributed electricity generation to Arizona's grid.
Had Arizona been able to implement its EPA-approved plans, the Solar for All Arizonan program would have brought substantial benefits to program participants and to the State, including creating $165 million in bill savings for participating households, thousands of new, good-paying jobs throughout Arizona's solar industry and 61 megawatts of new solar deployment, all while preventing at least 96,000 tons of CO2 from entering Arizona's atmosphere each year.
The Hopi Tribe, through its Hopi Utilities Corporation, also received a $25 million Solar for All grant to install solar panels and battery storage in homes across the Hopi Reservation in Northeastern Arizona.The Solar for All program would have improved energy access for nearly 600 Hopi homes, many of which had never before had access to electricity.
When President Trump took office this past January, he prioritized fossil fuel extraction to address an alleged "energy emergency" while arbitrarily excluding solar power as a resource that can be tapped to meet the country's energy needs. In July, Congress passed the president's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," rescinding funds for the Solar for All program that were unobligated as of July 3. The effect of that move was small, given that EPA had obligated all of the $7 billion for the program nearly a year earlier.
But instead of following that newly passed law, EPA and Zeldin illegally terminated the program on August 7. On social media, Zeldin made baseless accusations, calling Solar for All a "boondoggle." The agency then sent memos to all recipients, including the plaintiffs, saying EPA no longer has a "statutory basis or dedicated funding" for the program, even though Congress never directed EPA to cancel funds that had already been awarded. In fact, Congress did the opposite by only rescinding unobligated funds for Solar for All.
Attorney General Mayes and several other plaintiffs are filing a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleging, among other things, that the EPA violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S. Constitution's Separation of Powers Doctrine in unlawfully cancelling the program.
Attorney General Mayes and the attorneys general of Minnesota and Washington, are leading this complaint, which is being joined by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Also joining the complaint are the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
Separately, Arizona co-led a lawsuit that was filed yesterday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. In that complaint, the states and other entities argue the EPA breached the clear terms of the agreements and violated the duty of good faith and fair dealing in canceling their Solar for All grants. They're asking the court to award the plaintiffs money damages, interest, and fees.
Attorney General Mayes and the attorney general of Maryland are leading this complaint, which was joined by the attorneys general in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Also joining the complaint are the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, as well as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
Attorney General Mayes is spearheading both lawsuits after a long career of fighting for renewable energy and subsequent cost-savings for Arizona consumers. While serving as a Republican Commissioner and Commission Chair on the Arizona Corporation Commission, Attorney General Mayes co-authored Arizona's renewable energy standards. As Attorney General, she has fought to protect solar investment and cost savings in Arizona, including by fighting the struck down a legal challenge to an extra fee exclusively for Arizona Public Service's (APS's) solar fee.
A copy of yesterday's complaint is available here (https://azag.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cc1fad182b6d6f8b1e352e206&id=0dc2cd9c20&e=9153ff6c96). A copy of today's complaint will be available here (https://www.azag.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/Solar%20for%20All%20Complaint.pdf.pdf) later today.
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Original text here: https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-co-leads-challenge-epas-attacks-affordable-clean-energy-low
