AG Rayfield Files Lawsuit Against Trump for Energy Funding Cuts

Attorney General Dan Rayfield today and a coalition of 12 other attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's unlawful decision to terminate funding for congressionally mandated energy and infrastructure programs created by Congress in laws such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The lawsuit challenges decisions by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), DOE Secretary Chris Wright, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and OMB Director Russell Vought to terminate billions of dollars in energy and infrastructure awards nationwide.

"At a time when energy demand is rising and families are already worried about costs, this funding helps Oregon make the most out of our energy resources," said Attorney General Rayfield. "Research into energy efficiency and production ultimately drives prices down. Cutting these projects for political reasons doesn't save money - it will drive up monthly bills for Oregonians."

In Oregon, DOE unlawfully terminated three major agreements harming Oregon State University, totaling more than $125 million in funding. These include:

• $2,499,876 for a "Community Benefits from Offshore Wind Development" project examining how rural coastal communities understand and experience energy development.
• $115,225,626 connected to a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law project accelerating grid edge computing and distributed energy integration.
• $8,000,000 for high-resolution offshore wind resource assessments and forecasting research.

These projects support faculty, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, and administrative staff at Oregon State University, as well as collaborations with Oregon Sea Grant, Renewable Northwest, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and community colleges across the state. The terminations not only halt critical research and infrastructure upgrades but also disrupt workforce training and educational opportunities for Oregon students.

The complaint alleges that the Trump Administration's decision to eliminate energy programs created by Congress violates the separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act. The programs were created by statutes, and federal agencies have a duty to faithfully execute those statutes. The coalition asks the court to declare the Administration's actions unlawful and permanently block interference with these programs.