Federal Judge Throws Out Trump Order Blocking Wind Energy Development, Ruling it "Arbitrary and Capricious"
A federal judge has struck down President Donald Trump's executive order blocking wind energy projects, ruling that the effort to halt virtually all leasing of wind farms on federal lands and waters was "arbitrary and capricious" and violates U.S. law.
Judge Patti Saris of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated Trump's January 20 executive order blocking wind energy projects and declared it unlawful. The ruling comes in response to a challenge from a coalition of state attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The coalition argued that Trump doesn't have the authority to halt project permitting, and that doing so jeopardizes the states' economies, energy mix, public health, and climate goals. In contrast, the government argued that the states' claims amount to nothing more than a policy disagreement over preferences for wind versus fossil fuel energy development that is outside the federal court's jurisdiction.
The ruling is seen as a victory for green jobs and renewable energy, with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell hailing it as a win for protecting investments in offshore wind. "Massachusetts has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into offshore wind, and today, we successfully protected those important investments from the Trump administration's unlawful order," she said.
The decision is also praised by industry groups, such as the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, which described wind energy as a key component of powering the nation's electric grid. "Wind is currently one of the most cost-effective ways to generate power and is being used successfully not only in the United States, but across the world," said Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance.
The ruling comes at a time when wind energy is playing an increasingly important role in the US energy mix, with wind providing about 10% of the country's electricity generation. The Trump administration has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, and prioritizes fossil fuels to produce electricity.
As one advocate noted, the wind order "has been a devastating blow to workers, electricity customers, and the reliability of the power grid." With this ruling, projects can now be judged on their merits, and the door is open for new wind energy development.
A federal judge has struck down President Donald Trump's executive order blocking wind energy projects, ruling that the effort to halt virtually all leasing of wind farms on federal lands and waters was "arbitrary and capricious" and violates U.S. law.
Judge Patti Saris of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated Trump's January 20 executive order blocking wind energy projects and declared it unlawful. The ruling comes in response to a challenge from a coalition of state attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The coalition argued that Trump doesn't have the authority to halt project permitting, and that doing so jeopardizes the states' economies, energy mix, public health, and climate goals. In contrast, the government argued that the states' claims amount to nothing more than a policy disagreement over preferences for wind versus fossil fuel energy development that is outside the federal court's jurisdiction.
The ruling is seen as a victory for green jobs and renewable energy, with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell hailing it as a win for protecting investments in offshore wind. "Massachusetts has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into offshore wind, and today, we successfully protected those important investments from the Trump administration's unlawful order," she said.
The decision is also praised by industry groups, such as the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, which described wind energy as a key component of powering the nation's electric grid. "Wind is currently one of the most cost-effective ways to generate power and is being used successfully not only in the United States, but across the world," said Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance.
The ruling comes at a time when wind energy is playing an increasingly important role in the US energy mix, with wind providing about 10% of the country's electricity generation. The Trump administration has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, and prioritizes fossil fuels to produce electricity.
As one advocate noted, the wind order "has been a devastating blow to workers, electricity customers, and the reliability of the power grid." With this ruling, projects can now be judged on their merits, and the door is open for new wind energy development.
! It's like, finally some progress in making our country move towards cleaner energy. I was talking to my friends at school yesterday and we were all saying how ridiculous it was that Trump was trying to block wind farms. I mean, don't get me wrong, fossil fuels are fine for cars and stuff, but come on, we need to be reducing our carbon footprint ASAP! 
. It's about time someone held them accountable for their decisions.
. I'm sure the students at my school are all stoked to know that they'll have more opportunities to work in clean tech in the future.
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. all this is just about politics and money 
! plus, offshore wind is like, super cost-effective 
. can't wait to see more projects get greenlit 
. I mean, come on, blocking wind energy development? That's just plain crazy talk 
. And now that a judge has ruled it out, we can finally see some progress in renewable energy 
. And industry groups like the Alliance for Clean Energy New York are totally on point 
.
! And now we can finally get back to making informed decisions about our energy mix, not just taking orders from the Trump administration 
.
I'm totally fine with Trump's executive order blocking wind energy projects... but at the same time, I think it's super crazy that he did that in the first place! 
And now that the judge has thrown out the order, I'm actually kinda relieved... but only because I think it's better for our economy and stuff. 
And yet, at the same time, I'm all for green jobs and renewable energy... so, um, what's the deal with that? 
...I mean who needs clean air and water when we can have more oil rigs, right? 