Attorney General Kris Mayes of Arizona has joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania in a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The legal action challenges the federal government’s decision to suspend two grant programs for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, which could affect $15 million allocated to Phoenix for expanding public EV charging access.
“I’ve already protected more than $1.5 billion for Arizona by filing these lawsuits and forcing the federal government to cough up the funding it lawfully owes us,” said Attorney General Mayes. “The Federal Highway Administration awarded $15 million to Phoenix, and the President doesn’t have the right to step in and take it away.”
According to information from the Arizona Attorney General’s office, other communities in Arizona such as Mesa, Cochise County, San Carlos Apache Tribal Nation, and Maricopa County have previously received similar grants and used them to build public EV charging stations across the state. Phoenix was selected for a Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant in January 2025 but has not yet received its award.
The Clean Arizona Plan from the Governor’s Office of Resiliency had identified CFI funding as an important way to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the state. The suspended funds were intended for nearly 150 new public EV charging ports throughout Phoenix, as well as 10 portable solar-powered charging stations and solar-covered parking structures at city-owned multi-family housing locations.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has reportedly stopped approving new funds under two programs created by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act: Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program (CFI) and Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program (Accelerator). Both are five-year initiatives established by bipartisan Congressional approval in 2022.
Arizona’s lawsuit claims that halting these programs without explanation violates constitutional separation of powers since Congress authorized their funding. The complaint also alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to execute statutory obligations set by Congress. The coalition is seeking a court order requiring federal agencies to release the appropriated funds.
Attorney General Mayes is joined in this effort by her counterparts from California, Colorado, Washington, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, along with Pennsylvania’s governor.
A copy of the lawsuit is available here.
