The funding freeze in Massachusetts is causing troubles once again.
Recently, a federal judge ordered that frozen funds across the country be restored. However, two state environmental agencies in Massachusetts have reported they suddenly can’t access millions of dollars from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that were awarded during the Biden administration.
The Department of Energy Resources, for instance, can’t tap into its $156 million grant for the Solar For All program. This program aims to help low-income families reduce energy costs by installing solar panels on homes. Similarly, the Department of Environmental Protection is unable to access almost $1.2 million for two air monitoring programs.
In total, these funds are part of over $230 million that a judge ordered the Trump administration to release. The ongoing confusion around this funding has left state officials, local nonprofits, and others uncertain about their expected federal grants.
This situation traces back to an executive order issued by President Trump on his first day in office. The order aimed to halt hundreds of billions of dollars slated for environmental and infrastructure projects across states and nonprofits. A memo that followed mandated a freeze on various funding, including those for environmental initiatives.
In response, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, along with 22 other state attorneys general, sought an emergency restraining order, arguing that without this funding, essential services for residents could not be provided.
Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. granted the order, which was supposed to allow the flow of funds to resume. However, things didn’t go as planned. Last Friday, the coalition of states had to file another motion, asking the judge to enforce the restraining order.
On Monday, the judge rejected attempts to keep some funds frozen. As a result, Massachusetts officials announced that the frozen grants should be accessible again. Yet, by Monday night, two environmental grants were reported as “suspended” in the funding portal, and the Solar For All grant was also put on hold.
A spokesperson for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs expressed concern, emphasizing that the agreements made with federal agencies should be respected.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Campbell stated that they will keep fighting to protect these crucial resources. The court clearly indicated that the Trump administration cannot keep essential funding frozen while the case is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, an EPA representative claimed all funds had been unfrozen. However, he noted that some grants were flagged for potential inconsistencies with financial and oversight requirements. It’s unclear if the $156 million grant for Massachusetts falls into this category.
The future remains uncertain. The judge’s order did not specify any penalties for continued delays in releasing the funds. This leaves room for interpretation regarding compliance.
Due to this ongoing uncertainty, Massachusetts has paused its Solar For All program and other smaller projects focused on monitoring air pollution and cleaning contaminated drinking water systems.
