Federal judge throws out Trump order blocking development of wind energy
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, saying his effort to halt nearly all leasing of wind farms on federal lands and waters was “arbitrary and capricious” and violated U.S. law.
Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated Trump’s order on January 20. executive order It blocks wind energy projects and declares them illegal.
Saris ruled in favor of a coalition of state attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., led by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Trump’s Day One order This led to the suspension of leasing and permits for wind energy projects.
Trump happened enemy of renewable energyespecially offshore wind and Fossil fuels are given priority in electricity production.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell hailed the ruling as a victory for green jobs and renewable energy.
“Massachusetts has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in offshore wind, and today we successfully protected these important investments from the Trump administration’s illegal mandate,” Campbell said in a statement.
“This critical victory also protects good-paying green jobs and access to reliable, affordable energy that will help Massachusetts meet our clean energy and climate goals,” he added.
The coalition opposing Trump’s order argued that Trump did not have the authority to halt project permits and that doing so would jeopardize states’ economies, energy mix, public health and climate goals.
The government has argued that the states’ claims are nothing more than a policy dispute over wind and fossil fuel energy development preferences that fall outside the federal court’s jurisdiction. Justice Department attorney Michael Robertson told the court the wind order paused but did not stop permits; Interior Minister Doug Burgum reviewed the environmental impacts of wind projects.
The previous judge in the case allowed a lawsuit against Burgum but dismissed the lawsuit against Trump and other Cabinet secretaries. Judge William Young allowed the states to pursue arguments that blocking permits for wind energy projects violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which outlines a detailed process for enacting regulations but does not include the Constitution.
Wind is the United States’ largest source of renewable energy, providing approximately 10% of the electricity produced in the country, according to the American Clean Energy Association. The coalition includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington state and Washington DC.
The Interior Department and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the White House has previously accused Democratic attorneys general of using the law to stall the president’s energy agenda.
Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Clean Energy Alliance of New York, said wind energy is a key component in powering the nation’s electric grid.
Wind “is currently one of the most cost-effective ways to produce energy and is being used successfully not only in the United States but around the world,” he said. “With this decision behind us, projects can now be evaluated on their merits. We thank the attorneys general who helped bring this case to the finish line.”
Kit Kennedy of the Natural Resources Defense Council called the decision a win for consumers, union workers, U.S. businesses, clean air and the climate.
“Since its first day in office, the Trump administration has halted wind energy projects needed to keep electricity bills under control and the grid reliable,” Kennedy said.
The wind order “was a devastating blow to workers, electricity customers, and the reliability of the electric grid,” he said, adding that the Trump administration “should use this (the order) as a wake-up call, halt its illegal actions, and get out of the way of the expansion of renewable energy.”
