CALIFORNIA — California is joining 16 other states in a federal lawsuit aimed at forcing the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in funding for electric vehicle (EV) chargers that was approved as part of former President Joe Biden’s hallmark infrastructure law, according to Mercury News.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday that the coalition of attorneys general is “suing the Federal Highway Administration for their efforts to thwart Congress’ $5 billion program to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the nation,” Mercury News reported.
Bonta warned that the Federal Highway Administration’s failure to distribute the funds could have severe consequences for California. “The Federal Highway Administration’s unlawful action could cost California specifically more than $300 million, eliminate thousands of good-paying jobs, and damage a critical, emerging industry,” Bonta stated, according to Mercury News.
California was slated to receive more than $300 million through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program, a central component of President Biden’s 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. According to Bonta, the Trump administration has unlawfully withheld these funds, jeopardizing the state’s EV expansion efforts. Bonta has vowed to challenge the Trump administration in court whenever it violates the law.
The lawsuit represents California’s 19th legal challenge against the Trump administration. The states argue that the Federal Highway Administration is neglecting its legal responsibility to allocate congressionally approved funds and is obstructing the deployment of vital clean energy infrastructure.
Governor Gavin Newsom also criticized the move, framing it as both economically damaging and geopolitically short-sighted. “President Trump’s illegal action withholding funds for electric vehicle infrastructure is yet another Trump gift to China—ceding American innovation and killing thousands of jobs,” Newsom said, as reported by Mercury News.
In addition to California, the following states and jurisdictions have joined the lawsuit: Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Vermont, and the District of Columbia.
