Case: City and County of San Francisco v. Department of Energy
3:26-cv-05455 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Filed Date: June 5, 2026
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
Case Summary
This is a case challenging the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) new funding condition.
DOE sought to impose a new condition (“the Discrimination Condition”) on all of its funding, which required funding recipients to agree to and certify compliance with an interpretation of anti-discrimination laws that effectively prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The Discrimination Condition purported to implement Executive Order 14173, which targeted policies relating to DEI.
On June 5, 2026, the City and County of San Francisco filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs sued DOE and its Secretary in his official capacity, asserting violations of the Separation of Powers, Spending Power, and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The plaintiffs alleged that the condition forced them to either forgo critical funding or risk False Claims Act liability under the DOE’s ambiguous and legally contested standards. The plaintiffs sought declaratory relief, injunctive relief barring DOE from enforcing the Discrimination Condition, an order postponing any action taken to enforce the Discrimination Condition, a vacatur of the Discrimination Condition, and attorney’s fees. The case was assigned to District Judge James Donato.
This case is ongoing.
Summary Authors
Alexis Gil (7/10/2026)
People
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73449176/parties/city-and-county-of-san-francisco-v-department-of-energy/
Donato, James (California)
Chiu, David S. (California)
Eisenberg, Sara Jennifer (California)
Lee, Mollie M (California)
Mere, Yvonne Rosil (California)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73449176/city-and-county-of-san-francisco-v-department-of-energy/
Last updated Oct. 14, 2026, 3:24 a.m.
Docket for: City and County of San Francisco v. Department of Energy
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Public Benefits/Government Services
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 5, 2026
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The plaintiffs are the City and County of San Francisco.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Federal
Secretary of Energy
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 et seq.
Constitutional Clause(s):
Spending/Appropriations Clauses
Other Dockets:
Northern District of California 3:26-cv-05455
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Sought:
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Case Summary of City and County of San Francisco v. Department of Energy, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48289/ (last updated 7/10/2026).