Photo Provided by Eric Willadsen
As we go into the holiday season and begin a new year, we’re taking time to reflect on 2025 and how Americans —despite tremendous opposition and roadblocks every step of the way– fought to protect our climate and clean air.
Our biggest win was protecting the national EV charging network from Trump’s illegal freeze of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. Our lawsuit – along with national pressure and sharp communications – helped prompt the program’s restart by unlocking $2.7 billion for essential EV charging infrastructure nationwide along highways.
Senior Attorney Joe Halso put it best when he described what was at stake when Trump moved to abandon the NEVI program in Law360:
“It’s no surprise that Trump’s unlawful NEVI freeze served Big Oil, while communities are left to pay the price—with more pollution, higher energy costs, and fewer charging options. We’re glad for the opportunity to restore essential projects that communities have been waiting on and to keep the clean energy economy moving forward.”
Now, every state has submitted NEVI plans under new guidance and they all are moving ahead. This program restart—and the fact that the Trump administration’s new NEVI guidance came without any anti-EV poison pills—is a result of the litigation brought by us, our case partners, and twenty states and DC.
Our lawyers continue to fight to protect NEVI from further attacks and to ensure long-delayed EV charging projects proceed expeditiously.
This year we also delivered a powerful response against the Trump EPA’s dangerous proposal to block the federal climate pollution standards for cars and trucks, which had been updated by the Biden administration in 2024. We participated in a wide range of actions to make our opposition known, such as organizing dozens of participants to testify at a 4-day EPA hearing; submitting thousands of public comments; co-leading a sign-on comment letter with over 100 partners; and hosting a press conference in Michigan. Advocates across the country collectively demanded that the EPA keep the current common-sense, life-saving standards in place. The Trump EPA is set to make a decision to roll back these standards any day now.
We’re so proud of the Sierra Club’s leadership on National Drive Electric Month. Sierra Club staff and volunteers hosted community events in September and October showcasing zero-emission cars, trucks, buses, and bikes. Showcasing EVs and sharing helpful resources on incentives was super valuable and timely given the changes to federal funding and tax credits this year.
In 2026, we will continue working to ensure all Americans have access to zero-emission, reliable, and convenient transportation options. Our playbook includes supporting clean transportation and saving families money by deploying zero-emission vehicles, building robust EV charging infrastructure, improving access to public transit, and investing in safe infrastructure for walking and biking.
With these gains, we can improve air quality, cut costs, and dismantle the status-quo fossil fuel agenda paid for by Trump and his polluter cronies. Our committed staff, volunteers, and members across the country are ready to organize and campaign to meet this vital moment – to defend what we’ve built and advance clean, affordable transportation for all.
So, let’s get to work!