MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul is joining a coalition of 13 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful decision to terminate funding for congressionally mandated energy and infrastructure programs, including nearly $10 million for clean energy research in Wisconsin.
The programs were created by Congress in laws such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The lawsuit challenges the decisions by the United States Department of Energy (DOE), DOE Secretary Chris Wright, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and OMB Director Russell Vought, to terminate billions of dollars in energy and infrastructure awards nationwide.
In Wisconsin, nearly $10 million in funding, intended for UW-Madison to conduct clean energy research under the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization program, has been abandoned. The federal government’s abandonment of the program has deprived Wisconsin and the nation of the benefits of critical cutting-edge research to reduce CO2 emissions in steel production.
“It’s ridiculous that the Trump administration is once again interfering with millions of dollars that should be coming to Wisconsin,” said AG Kaul. “The administration must follow the law.”
In the complaint, the coalition argues that the Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate energy programs created by Congress is unlawful because it violates the separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act. The programs were created by statute, and federal agencies have a duty to faithfully execute those statutes. The coalition is asking the court to declare that the Trump Administration’s actions are unlawful and to permanently stop the Administration from interfering with these programs.
Joining AG Kaul in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
