Overview
- California and Colorado, joined by Washington, led a coalition filing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington to contest USDOT and FHWA halting new obligations under the CFI and Accelerator programs since spring 2025.
- The lawsuit targets roughly $2.15 billion in funding—about $1.8 billion for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure program and approximately $350 million for the EV Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator.
- Plaintiffs include attorneys general from 16 states and the District of Columbia, with Pennsylvania’s governor also joining, alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Caltrans, and the California Energy Commission as additional plaintiffs.
- The complaint alleges unlawful impoundment in violation of separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act, notes the lack of a public explanation, and cites the White House’s “Unleashing American Energy” order directing a pause pending review.
- California says $179.8 million in awards are at risk—including $59.3 million and $63.1 million for Caltrans and $55.9 million for the CEC—while a prior NEVI case yielded a preliminary injunction restoring much of that separate funding in more than a dozen states.