The decision constitutes a setback for the Trump Administration’s campaign against wind farms
A federal judge in the District of Massachusetts this Monday overturned the executive order of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, which suspended approvals of wind energy projects on federal lands and waters.
Judge Patti Saris, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, called the suspension “arbitrary and capricious,” arguing that it violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to provide a reasoned explanation for suspending the licenses.
The decision constitutes a setback for the Trump Administration’s campaign against wind farms.
According to the judge, the suspension of wind energy projects, formally decided by the Department of the Interior, was based solely on a presidential order, without evaluating the implications.
The executive order, issued by Trump on the first day of his term in January, suspended several offshore and onshore wind projects in states such as Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, affecting both parks under construction and planned, and even canceling some.
Among the affected projects was the Lava Ridge Wind Farm, approved during Democrat Biden’s presidency, in Idaho.
The challenge to the order was led by New York and a coalition of 17 states plus the Federal District of Columbia, along with the nonprofit New York Clean Energy Alliance, which argued that wind energy is “a fundamental component” for building the future electrical grid in the United States.
Despite the decision, analysts warn that the impact may be limited, as courts cannot force agencies to approve projects and some developers may prefer not to submit new license applications.
The Trump Administration also attempted to revoke permits already granted and prevent the construction of wind farms in Rhode Island and Long Island, efforts that were also rejected by federal courts.
Trump has criticized wind energy for more than a decade, considering it inefficient and aesthetically negative, especially after a failed attempt to prevent the construction of a wind farm visible from a golf course he owns in Scotland.
During the presidential campaign, Trump promised to favor the oil and gas industry through changes in environmental policies, which harm renewable energy.
