Last year, Harris County brought a legal challenge against the EPA over funding for solar energy programs across Texas. A federal judge has now ruled in favor of that challenge, determining that the agency acted unlawfully when it took back more than $250 million.
The “Solar for All” program was meant to fund clean energy programs for low-income households across the state, create job growth, and set up community centers powered by solar energy stores in case of power failures. The program was backed by a $7 billion clean energy fund signed by former President Joe Biden.
In 2024, Harris County received $54 million to fund its solar program. The funding was recalled in August of the previous year, after the county received a termination notice from the EPA stating the project had been canceled.
The EPA’s Case
The EPA argued in court that Congress ended the Solar for All program in 2025 through the passing of President Donald Trump’s signature tax cut and spending package, known informally as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That forced the agency to end more than $7 billion in grant funds for solar programs across the country, according to court papers.
Chutkan’s Ruling
Tuesday brought a ruling from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in favor of Harris County, which argued that the EPA had unlawfully taken back its funds. Chutkan described the agency’s reading of the act as “arbitrary and capricious.”
Chutkan’s ruling does not tell the EPA to give the grant funds back. Brent Taylor, a spokesperson for the Harris County Attorney’s Office, said the federal agency will essentially be told to figure out how to give the program back, though not necessarily any lost funds.
Kamin’s Statement
Abbie Kamin, named Harris County Attorney by the board of commissioners in April, has vowed to protect the money set aside for local projects. She made the pledge in a statement Wednesday, saying: “I will continue to stand up against improper federal agency actions that are not only illegal, but also harm our communities. Seven billion dollars of grant funding was put at risk by the Trump Administration — dollars that would bring clean energy jobs, lower electricity bills.”
The Wider Case
The EPA distributed money for Solar for All to 60 recipients nationwide, with Harris County among them. The program is meant to cut costs for low-income families by opening up more clean energy choices. Once the funding arrived last year, the Texas coalition put together a plan to build out solar energy infrastructure further.
A federal judge has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency acted unlawfully when it terminated grant funding for the Solar for All program in Harris County. This decision follows closely behind another federal judge’s ruling in Rhode Island, which came just a few days earlier and found the EPA had also acted unlawfully in ending Solar for All grant funds there.
The EPA’s Next Move
A request for comment from the EPA went unanswered. Taylor noted that the agency will now come under pressure to find a way to give the program back, though he stopped short of promising the funds themselves would be restored.
The alterations Kamin’s statement points to a larger concern: that the Trump administration has made to federal law could expose public funds to danger without the right procedures being followed. The legal interpretation her office’s argument that the EPA took was judged to be unreasonable, and it prevailed in court.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Harris County and is against the EPA, which the court found had unlawfully taken back millions of dollars meant for solar energy programs across Texas. The EPA’s reading of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as grounds to cancel the grant was rejected outright by Judge Chutkan, who called it “arbitrary and capricious.” The agency has no mandate to take money from local governments, and it acted outside its bounds in doing so.
The program was backed by a $7 billion clean energy fund signed by former President Biden, and it was designed to help low-income families afford electricity while creating jobs and building solar infrastructure. The EPA’s action threatened those goals entirely.
The paper wants the EPA to comply with the court’s ruling and find a way to restore the program. Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin has vowed to protect the money, and the judge’s order puts real pressure on the agency to do so. The paper supports Kamin’s position and hopes the agency will stop trying to take back funds it has no right to take.
Key Facts
- Grant amount: More than $250 million taken back
- County share: $54 million for Harris County in 2024
- Program funds: $7 billion clean energy fund signed by Biden
- Termination letter: Sent in August last year
- Recipients: 60 across the U.S. received funds
- Judge’s ruling: Sided with Harris County on Tuesday
Source material: “Federal judge rules EPA unlawfully clawed back $250 million for solar energy initiatives across Texas,” Houston Public Media.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.