Several states are indeed suing over aspects of President Biden’s climate agenda, with legal battles unfolding in courts across the country. These lawsuits primarily challenge Biden administration policies and programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting clean energy, reflecting deep political and legal conflicts over climate change regulation.
One major area of litigation involves the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) climate-related grant programs established under the Inflation Reduction Act. The Biden administration created a $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to finance clean energy projects, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities. However, the EPA, under the current administration, terminated these grants citing concerns about conflicts of interest and oversight. The nonprofits awarded these grants sued to keep the funding alive, and while a district court initially blocked the EPA’s termination, an appeals court later vacated that injunction, allowing the EPA to reclaim the funds. This ruling effectively threatens the continuation of one of the largest climate finance programs in recent years. The court framed the dispute as a contract issue rather than a broader challenge to the climate program itself, meaning the program could end even if monetary damages might be sought later by the nonprofits.
Beyond grant disputes, a coalition of states—often led by so-called “blue states” with Democratic leadership—has actively opposed moves by the EPA and other federal agencies to roll back or repeal regulations that limit greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and other sources. These states have filed public comments and lawsuits urging the EPA to maintain its authority to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act, particularly opposing efforts to repeal the “endangerment finding” that underpins much of the federal climate regulatory framework.
At the same time, the return of a Trump administration with deregulatory ambitions has intensified legal conflicts. The Trump administration has sought to undo many Biden-era climate policies, including halting environmental justice and climate grants, and issuing executive orders favoring fossil fuel development. These actions have prompted lawsuits from states, youth groups, scientists, and environmental organizations aiming to block or reverse the deregulatory moves. For example, youth plaintiffs have sued to halt executive orders that promote fossil fuel industries and curb renewable energy expansion.
The legal battles over Biden’s climate agenda are complex and multifaceted, involving contract law, administrative law, and environmental statutes. They reflect a broader national struggle over how aggressively the federal government should act to combat climate change and the role of states in shaping or resisting those policies. The courts have become a critical battleground where the future of federal climate initiatives is being contested, with some
