Judge orders Trump administration to release billions in EV charging funds
LOS ANGELES, United States: A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release billions allocated for the construction of electric vehicle charging stations in over a dozen US states.
In a ruling Tuesday, US District Judge Tana Lin granted a preliminary injunction to require distribution of funds for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) development, which allotted US$5 billion for use from 2022 to 2026.
Signed into law by former president Joe Biden in 2021, the Trump administration's Department of Transportation defunded NEVI in February, axing expected funding for 16 states and the District of Columbia.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly called climate change a "hoax," abandoned electric vehicle booster programmes and campaigned to drill for oil extensively.
Trump has also blocked California's plan to ban internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035.
Seventeen attorneys general sued the Trump administration to unfreeze funds in May, led by California, the state with the largest number of electric vehicles.
"It is no secret that the Trump Administration is beholden to the fossil fuel agenda," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, adding legal programmes can't be dismantled "just so that the President's Big Oil friends can continue basking in record-breaking profits."
"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," the Democrat added.
The Trump administration has until July 2 to appeal or release funds under Lin's order, which applies to Washington, Colorado, California, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
Federal transportation and justice officials did not immediately indicate whether they intend to appeal.
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