A US District Judge has partially issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Trump administration to release funds for electric vehicle charging infrastructure in other states, but not Vermont. This decision comes after Vermont and 15 other states sued the Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration over funding withheld by the Trump administration.
Vermont was set to receive $16.7 million in federal funding for charging projects across three years, with a total planned expenditure of $9.3 million to contractors building out charging stations. However, due to a lack of documentation proving federal approval and reapproval of state plans, Vermont’s bid was rejected, along with those of Minnesota and Washington D.C.
Clean energy advocates in Vermont are criticizing the decision, saying it will harm rural communities where electric vehicle adoption is needed most. “Americans in rural parts of the country — blue, red and purple — are worse off because these funds are not out the door,” said Ben Edgerly Walsh, Climate and Energy Program director for Vermont Public Interest Research Group.
The Vermont Attorney General’s Office has vowed to continue exploring legal options to protect the state’s interests and funding. The decision means that Vermont will have to keep fighting if it wants change in this case.
Source: https://vtdigger.org/2025/06/25/court-offers-no-relief-for-vermont-ev-funding-freeze