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BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 17 states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration for unlawfully suspending two bipartisan grant programs for electric vehicle charging infrastructure that would reduce pollution, expand access to clean vehicles, and create thousands of green jobs. Without any explanation or notice, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has quietly refused to approve any new funding under two electric vehicle charging infrastructure programs created in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA): Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program (CFI) and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator (Accelerator) Program (together, the EV Charging Infrastructure Programs). In the lawsuit, Attorney General Brown and the coalition allege that these unexplained and secretive actions violate the constitutional separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act.
“The Trump administration has unlawfully frozen millions of dollars to build charging stations in communities and along travel corridors throughout Maryland. These projects provide an important source of employment and improve our air quality,” said Attorney General Brown. “We’re suing to unlock this funding and protect Maryland’s clean energy future.”
In 2022, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Like the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, the CFI and Accelerator programs are five-year programs created by IIJA for building or repairing EV chargers. USDOT and the Federal Highway Administration have refused all new obligations of funds under both programs since the spring of 2025.
Maryland stands to lose more than $56 million in federal funding that would install 91 new electric vehicle charging stations across the state, repair 44 broken charging ports, and build truck charging depots along the I-81 and I-78 freight corridors. The Maryland Clean Energy Center secured $15 million to install 58 community charging stations statewide, but despite meeting all federal requirements in June 2025, the funding remains frozen—resulting in lost site approvals, expired permits, and mounting costs. An additional $33.5 million award for 33 corridor chargers along Maryland highways is similarly stalled. The Maryland Department of Transportation’s $4.4 million to fix broken chargers and $3.4 million share of a regional electric truck charging project are also blocked. These projects would expand charging access for Maryland drivers, reduce air pollution in our communities, create clean energy jobs, and support the transition to cleaner vehicles—but all remain frozen under “administrative review” with no timeline for resolution.
The complaint alleges that the Trump administration’s refusal to spend the funds that Congress appropriated for EV infrastructure is unlawful because it violates the separation of powers and the Administrative Procedure Act. The programs were created by statute, and federal agencies have a duty to faithfully execute those statutes. The complaint asks the court to declare that the defendants’ actions are unlawful and to permanently stop the Trump administration from withholding these funds.
In filing this lawsuit, Attorney General Brown is joined by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Arizona, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington, and Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.
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