Federal Judge Rules Trump's Freeze On New Wind Projects Is Unlawful

A federal judge has struck down President Donald Trump’s freeze on offshore wind permitting.

In January, President Trump issued a memo indefinitely pausing all future permits for both offshore and onshore wind in the United States, the first salvo in what has become a series of broadsides from his administration against the wind industry. But a federal judge ruled on Monday that the memo is unlawful, calling it arbitrary and capricious.

U.S. District Court Judge Patti Saris overturned the executive order, stating that it violated existing laws requiring federal agencies to review permit applications within a reasonable amount of time.

A coalition of 17 states, including Massachusetts, sued the Trump administration over the order in May. Governor Maura Healey and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell were among the state officials who took to social media earlier this week to celebrate the ruling.

“Offshore wind is creating jobs AND driving down energy costs. At a moment when families need relief, we can’t afford to take solutions off the table,” Healey wrote.

Trump officials were less positive.

“Under Joe Biden’s Green New Scam, offshore wind projects were given unfair, preferential treatment while the rest of the energy industry was hindered by burdensome regulations,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers wrote in a widely distributed statement.

It isn’t immediately clear what the impact of the ruling will be. Even if the Trump administration does not appeal the decision, the ruling doesn’t require any agencies to issue permits, and the federal government can still pursue a de facto pause on permitting and reject any permits it is ultimately instructed to decide on.

Since the memo was issued, Trump’s administration has also moved to reconsider permits for already approved wind farms, halt projects under construction, and strip funding from related infrastructure efforts.