Judge Rules Trump Administration Illegally Canceled Clean Energy Grants

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled on Monday that the Donald Trump administration acted illegally by canceling $7.6 billion in clean energy grants. The ruling determined that the government violated the Constitution's equal protection requirements by targeting 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

The canceled funds supported critical infrastructure, including electric grid upgrades, hydrogen technology, and battery plants, such as a $1.2 billion hub in California. The legal challenge was brought by the city of St. Paul and a coalition of environmental groups.

The U.S. Department of Energy contested the ruling, claiming projects were terminated due to economic viability and national energy needs rather than political affiliation. This decision coincided with another federal court ruling that allowed work to resume on an offshore wind farm serving Rhode Island and Connecticut, marking two legal losses for the administration's energy rollbacks in a single day.