TRENTON, N.J. — Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has joined a coalition of 13 states in suing the Trump administration over the termination of billions of dollars in federal funding for energy affordability and infrastructure programs.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, challenges a policy by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Office of Management and Budget that resulted in cuts to renewable energy and infrastructure projects in 16 states with Democratic governors, including New Jersey.
The states argue that actions taken by the Department of Energy, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, the Office of Management and Budget and OMB Director Russell Vought violate the constitutional separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act. The complaint seeks a permanent injunction to restore the funding.
“Creating more in-state power will lower utility costs, benefiting both families and businesses, and improve affordability for all. But President Trump is determined to make life more expensive by refusing to follow the law, and New Jersey will not stand for it,” said Governor Mikie Sherrill. “At his direction, and for purely political reasons, the Department of Energy and Russell Vought pulled funding for innovative scientific research projects aimed at lowering energy costs for New Jerseyans. This is not the first time the Trump administration has played political games, and I’m glad that we are once again taking him to court under Acting Attorney General Davenport to defend New Jersey against his unlawful behavior.”
“Let me be clear: I will do everything in my power to drive down energy costs and make life more affordable for all New Jerseyans. But the Trump Administration is doing exactly the opposite, going out of its way to unlawfully gut programs that support affordable, clean energy—all in the name of seeking retribution against the President’s perceived political opponents,” said Acting Attorney General Davenport. “We’re taking the Trump Administration to court to reverse its reckless and illegal attempts to stand in the way of affordable energy projects that would drive down your utility bills. Alongside Governor Sherrill, I will always stand on the side of hardworking New Jerseyans against attacks out of Washington.”
According to the complaint, the funding cuts stem from executive actions taken in 2025 targeting energy and infrastructure programs created by Congress under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
In New Jersey, the Department of Energy terminated two cooperative agreements with Rutgers University. One $3.2 million grant, issued jointly to Rutgers and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, supported efforts to implement energy-efficient building performance standards. State officials said the standards could have generated potential energy savings between $3.8 billion and $15.4 billion over five years.
A separate $1.7 million grant funded research into agrivoltaic systems, which allow farmland to be used for both agriculture and solar energy production. The project aimed to study crop performance under solar arrays and develop training programs for farmers and technical specialists.
In addition to New Jersey, attorneys general from California, Colorado, Washington, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin joined the lawsuit.
