Farmers and solar energy groups filed suit in late September challenging USDA’s changes to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), arguing the changes effectively blocked funding for solar projects.
“Cash strapped rural communities will now be denied the benefits of additional cheap, reliable, and environmentally beneficial solar power at the same time that energy prices continue to skyrocket, reaching historical highs,” the Environmental Law & Policy Center and Earthjustice said, which are representing the plaintiffs. “Worse yet, USDA has retroactively applied its new anti-solar policy to applications that had already been prepared and submitted under USDA’s prior rules,” the groups said.
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and calls on the court to determine USDA’s actions as unlawful and require the department to process REAP loan guarantee and grant applications received prior to April 15.
