Federal judge orders Trump administration to release EV charger funding
in 14 states
[June 25, 2025]
By SUDHIN THANAWALA and SOPHIE AUSTIN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge Tuesday ordered the Trump
administration to release billions of dollars in funding for the build
out of electric vehicle chargers in more than a dozen states.
U.S. District Judge Tana Lin in Washington state partially granted a
preliminary injunction that sought to free up the money approved under
then-President Joe Biden that the Trump administration withheld earlier
this year. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia sued over the
move, arguing that the administration did not have the authority to
block the congressionally approved funds. The program was set to
allocate $5 billion over five years to various states, of which an
estimated $3.3 billion had already been made available.
Lin ordered that funding be released in 14 of the states, including in
Arizona, California and New York. But she denied granting the
preliminary injunction for D.C., Minnesota and Vermont, saying that they
did not provide enough evidence that they would face “irreparable harm”
if the money wasn't immediately freed up.
Lin said the Trump administration overstepped its constitutional
authority when it froze the funding previously approved by Congress in
2021 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“When the Executive Branch treads upon the will of the Legislative
Branch, and when an administrative agency acts contrary to law, it is
the Court’s responsibility to remediate the situation and restore the
balance of power,” she wrote.
The order will go into effect July 2 unless the Trump administration
appeals. The Federal Highway Administration did not immediately respond
to an email request for comment on the decision.
The Trump administration in February directed states to stop spending
money for electric vehicle charging under the program. The move was part
of a broader push by the Republican president to roll back environmental
policies advanced by his Democratic predecessor.
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Electric vehicle chargers sit outside a Ford dealership, Jan. 21,
2024, in Broomfield, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
States suing the Trump administration said the decision to freeze
funding halted projects midstream, requiring immediate court
intervention.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said after the
ruling that the Trump administration could not “dismiss programs
illegally.”
“We are pleased with today’s order blocking the Administration’s
unconstitutional attempt to do so, and California looks forward to
continuing to vigorously defend itself from this executive branch
overreach,” he said in a statement.
The Trump administration argued that it was working on new guidance
for the program and was only pausing future funding in the meantime.
The program was meant to assuage concerns about electric vehicles
and build infrastructure along highway corridors first, then address
gaps elsewhere once the state highway obligations were met.
Some states with projects running under the program have already
been reimbursed by the Biden-era federal funds. Others are still
contracting for their sites. Still more had halted their plans by
the time the Trump administration ordered states to stop their
spending. Regardless, getting the chargers installed and operating
has been a slow process with contracting challenges, permitting
delays and complex electrical upgrades.
It was expected that states would fight against the federal
government’s efforts to slow the nation’s electric vehicle charger
build out. New York, for example, which is part of the lawsuit, has
been awarded over $175 million in federal funds from the program,
and state officials say $120 million is currently being withheld by
the Trump administration.
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