ATLANTA — The federal government canceled a variety of grant programs and funding initiatives since January when President Donald Trump began his second term in office.
Among the grants canceled was a $7 billion initiative of the administration of former President Joe Biden called Solar for All. It was intended to provide funding to help low-income Americans access affordable solar energy.
Plaintiffs from multiple parts of the U.S. filed a lawsuit Monday against the Environmental Protection Agency, which would have administered the program’s funds, seeking they be brought back.
Among those suing the EPA and Sec. Lee Zeldin, Georgia-based small business 2KB Energy Services, LLC and Atlanta homeowner Anh Nguyen went to court to get funding for solar power installation.
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Nguyen applied for no-cost solar installation through the Georgia BRIGHT program, a statewide initiative to provide affordable solar that received funds from Solar for All.
Citing 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act and provisions that were focused on clean energy technology from the 117th Congress, the lawsuit notes that the $7 billion in the program was meant “to enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy or benefit from zero-emission technologies.”
The $7 billion was part of a larger Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund created by the legislation that totaled $27 billion.
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After a competitive bidding process for the funds, recipients in all 50 states were approved for grants.
The cancelation puts the benefits of the program out of reach, according to the lawsuit.
For Nguyen, the lawsuit says she applied ”because the electricity bills in her East Atlanta home she recently purchased were as high as $500 per month in the summer."
Similarly, the cancellation impacted 2KB in Georgia.
“Plaintiff 2KB was selected in November 2024 as the Program Administrator for the Enabling Repairs portion of the program, supporting the Georgia Solar for All program by conducting federally compliant procurements and providing contractor training in compliance with federal requirements including Build America, Buy America, and the Davis-Bacon Act,” the lawsuit says.
As the program administrator in Georgia, the lawsuit says 2KB advertised opportunities for contractors to work on homes that would be receiving solar energy products and items.
“While the request for proposals from contractors was open and before the bidding deadline closed, the program was abruptly terminated,” the lawsuit says. “2KB had no way to inform the general public that the opportunity it advertised was no longer available, so instead it continued to field questions and receive completed applications from hopeful contractors for work opportunities that were no longer available.”
According to those suing the EPA, the funding bill passed in July 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill, did rescind unobligated funds that were not awarded before July 3.
However, the $7 billion for Solar for All grant awards were already committed, or obligated, so the plaintiffs are working through court to receive what was already confirmed to be on the way.
Citing Rep. Morgan Griffith, Chair of the Environmental Subcommittee, the lawsuit says the Virginia Congressman repeated multiple times that funding already approved and obligated would not be affected by OBBB.
On Aug. 7, Zeldin terminated the program, the lawsuit says.
Grant recipients received letters from the EPA beginning Aug. 7 notifying them that the program had been terminated, though the EPA also acknowledged that the bill had only rescinded funds that were unobligated, according to the lawsuit.
“Plaintiff Anh Nguyen has been harmed because Ms. Nguyen’s efforts to secure lower-cost electricity for her home have been thwarted by Defendants’ termination of the Solar for All program. She cannot afford the upfront cost of solar on her own,” the lawsuit reads.
Similarly, 2KB said in the lawsuit that it had diverted core staff away from other work and business opportunities, costing income and operational momentum, in addition to suffering reputational harm, as a result of “being unable to honor ongoing commitments to enabling repairs subcontractors and partner businesses” that the company was negotiating with when the Solar for All program was canceled.
2KB said the cancellation, and its effects, damaged their business relationships and hurt chances for future collaborations.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the EPA. The agency declined to comment, citing the “longstanding practice” of not commenting on current or pending litigation.
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