Two federal judges ruled in September 2026 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) illegally ended Solar for All, a $7 billion program meant to bring solar power to lower-income households. The EPA ended the program in August 2025, and Administrator Lee Zeldin has called it a “boondoggle.”
What Solar for All is
Solar for All was a $7 billion piece of the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, created by the 2022 climate law (the Inflation Reduction Act). Awards went to states, cities, tribes and nonprofits to fund rooftop and community solar for lower-income households. In 2024 the EPA projected the program would reach more than 900,000 households, save families about $350 million a year and support 200,000 jobs, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and PV Tech. Those are agency projections from 2024, not measured results.
What the courts decided
| Court and judge | Date | Outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. District Court, Rhode Island (Judge Mary McElroy) | Sept 18, 2026 | Vacated the termination. Found Congress intended EPA to keep administering grants already obligated. | AP, ESG Dive |
| U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Judge Tanya Chutkan) | Sept 22, 2026 | Called the termination “arbitrary and capricious, contrary to law, and in excess of statutory authority.” Applies to all Solar for All grants. | Smart Cities Dive |
The Rhode Island case was led by the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, with the Rhode Island Center for Justice, Solar United Neighbors, solar businesses and others. The D.C. case was brought by Harris County, Texas, whose Texas Solar for All Coalition was awarded nearly $250 million in 2024. The EPA ended the program after Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and Zeldin argued the agency lacked authority to run it. The judges disagreed.
Where things stand
| Works well | Be careful |
|---|---|
| Two separate courts found the cancellation unlawful. | No source confirms that grant money has been paid out since the rulings. Smart Cities Dive says it does not report funds as restored. |
| The D.C. ruling applies to all Solar for All grants. | The EPA told reporters it is reviewing both decisions and weighing an appeal. |
| The 2024 projections point to 900,000 households and $350 million a year in savings. | Those are 2024 EPA projections, repeated by plaintiffs and reporters. No source reports actual savings. |
| Grantees and plaintiffs have a legal win. | A separate suit by a coalition of states was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, and AP reports the states have appealed. |
So the legal result is solid and the practical one isn’t. The rulings are a win for grantees and plaintiffs, but they don’t yet show money flowing, and the EPA’s appeal could change the outcome. Savings also depend on each state’s program design.
Why It Matters to You
If you applied through a state, tribal or nonprofit Solar for All program, ask your program administrator whether work has resumed and what the timeline is. Eligibility and benefits differ by program, so there is no single national application. Until payments are confirmed, treat any promised savings as projections.
Quick answers
Is Solar for All back in operation? Legally it has won two rulings. Practically, no confirmation shows that payments have resumed, and the EPA may appeal.
Who can get Solar for All benefits? The program serves lower-income households through local grantees such as state agencies, tribes and nonprofits. Each grantee sets its own rules, so contact your state energy office or local program.
Why did the EPA cancel it? The EPA ended the program in 2025 after Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Zeldin argued the agency lacked authority to run it. The judges disagreed.
Sources
- Associated Press: Judge rules EPA illegally terminated $7 billion solar program intended to help poorer Americans (Sep 18, 2026)
- PV Tech: US judge overturns EPA cancellation of US$7 billion Solar for All programme (Sep 21, 2026)
- ESG Dive: EPA unlawfully canceled $7B Solar for All program, judge rules (Sep 22, 2026)
- Smart Cities Dive: Second federal judge overturns $7B Solar for All cancellation (Sep 25, 2026)
- Southern Environmental Law Center: Court Strikes Down EPA’s Cancellation of the $7 Billion Solar for All Program (Sep 18, 2026)