- President Donald Trump banned the development of new offshore wind farms in U.S. coastal waters and paused permits for onshore projects on his first day in office.
- Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that Trump’s ban is “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law.”
A federal judge on Monday overturned President Donald Trump’s sweeping ban on new wind power projects in the U.S., a major victory for an industry that has been singled out by the White House since the administration’s first day.
Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that Trump’s ban is “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law,” tossing out the president’s action in its entirey.
Trump issued a memorandum on Jan. 20 banning the development of offshore wind farms in U.S. coastal waters and paused permits for onshore projects.
Seventeen states led by New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump in May to overturn the president’s ban. They argued that it created “an existential threat to the wind industry.”
States in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in particular have been pursuing offshore wind projects to meet future energy demand as they seek to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.
“As New Yorkers face rising energy costs, we need more energy sources, not fewer,” James said in a statement. “Wind energy is good for our environment, our economy, and our communities. I am grateful the court stepped in to block the administration’s reckless and unlawful crusade against clean energy.”
