President Barack Obama said on Friday that the Obama administration’s decision to ban solar panels from homes was “drainaging” solar energy.
The solar panel ban was implemented in April, and Obama called it “the most progressive move” that could be made.
Obama’s comments came as a wave of lawsuits challenging the Obama solar panel rule began to appear.
The lawsuits say the ban violates the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Food and Drug Act, among other statutes.
The U.S. Supreme Court has said that states can set their own solar energy standards, and many states have taken the approach, but it’s been unclear how far the Supreme Court will go in reaching a decision on the case.
Solar panels have become a key part of the U.K. and other European nations’ energy transition.
But a number of federal agencies, including the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, are weighing whether to expand the ban beyond residential areas, according to Reuters.
In June, a coalition of more than a dozen groups filed a federal lawsuit challenging the solar panel regulation, saying it would cost consumers too much money and hurt the economy.
The groups argue that the ban would hurt consumers by forcing them to buy solar panels on an almost-daily basis, which would increase their electricity bills.
The coalition, which includes consumer advocates, energy companies, and some Republicans, said in its complaint that the solar industry is in a “tough economic position” because of the solar ban and that it’s unlikely that solar will recover the lost revenue.
In its complaint, the coalition argues that the policy has been in place for more than five years and is intended to help the U
