Colorado sues Trump administration over $600M in energy funds
Colorado has recently joined a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration to claim approximately $600 million in federal energy funds approved by Congress. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks an estimated $2.7 billion appropriated to 13 states through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act during the Biden administration.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, along with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, announced the lawsuit during a news conference, stating that the executive branch does not have the power to decide what’s funded as outlined in the Constitution. This marks the 54th time Colorado has sued the Trump administration, with California having done so 57 times.
The lawsuit contends that the Department of Energy and the Office of Management and Budget terminated federal funding approved by Congress for energy, technology, and infrastructure development. In Colorado, the withheld funds include $300 million for Colorado State University to reduce methane emissions, over $32 million for the Colorado School of Mines for a carbon-storage hub, and $8 million for solar technology development at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Colorado is committed to a clean energy future and protecting the environment, and the grants being undermined by this action are crucial for these efforts, according to Weiser. The administration’s targeting of Democratic-led states with funding cuts is deemed arbitrary and capricious.
Leading the lawsuit are Bonta, Weiser, and Washington Attorney General Nicholas Brown, with other plaintiffs including Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. Lawsuits against the administration signed onto by Weiser include challenges related to U.S. Space Command relocation, public health grants cancellation, funding for electric vehicle charging stations, and delays in FEMA funding.
Despite the resources spent on fighting the Trump administration in court, Weiser and Bonta believe it has paid off for the states in terms of protecting funding. Weiser mentioned receiving an additional $600,000 in state funding to support federal litigation efforts, resulting in the protection of over $1 billion in funding.
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