Judge blocks Trump administration from terminating $14 billion in 'green bank' grants

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from terminating $14 billion in grants awarded to three climate groups by the Biden administration, saying the government's “vague and unsubstantiated assertions of fraud are insufficient.” The order by U.S. District Judge Tonya Chutkan prevents — for now — the Environmental Protection Agency from ending the grant program, which totaled $20 billion. “At this juncture, EPA Defendants have not sufficiently explained why unilaterally terminating Plaintiffs' grant awards was a rational precursor to reviewing” the green bank program, Judge Chutkan wrote. Climate United Fund and other groups had sued the EPA, Lee Zeldin and Citibank, saying they had illegally denied the groups access to $14 billion awarded last year through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, commonly referred to as a “green bank." Climate United CEO Beth Bafford said the judge’s decision Tuesday was “a step in the right direction.” “In the coming weeks, we will continue working towards a long-term solution that will allow us to invest in projects that deliver energy savings, create jobs, and boost American manufacturing in communities across the country,” Ms. Bafford said.