Environmental groups are taking legal action against the Trump administration for excluding solar technology from a vital federal program that funds rural energy projects. The lawsuit, spearheaded by the Environmental Law & Policy Center and Earthjustice, represents farmers, solar developers, and clean energy advocates, including RENEW Wisconsin, which supports the renewable energy sector.
The suit challenges changes to the Renewable Energy for America Program (REAP), enacted to assist farmers and rural businesses in investing in renewable energy. From 2011 to early 2025, a significant portion—68%—of its funding was allocated to solar projects. The USDA’s recent policy changes have made “almost all solar projects ineligible for REAP funding,” burdens farmers and small businesses with unexpected costs.
The lawsuit argues that these changes, implemented in August 2025, halted the processing of grant applications and required all applicants to reapply under new, restrictive rules—a move that many find unjust, especially as some had already begun construction on approved projects. Example cases cited in the lawsuit show canceled or delayed funding and contracts due to the policy shift.
The USDA, defending its changes, claims they are meant to protect prime farmland for food production, emphasizing that the previous administration’s policies allowed solar farms to take up valuable agricultural land.
The lawsuit seeks to overturn the USDA’s new solar policy and compel the agency to process REAP applications according to the previous, more favorable guidelines.
