A U.S. federal judge has ruled that President Donald Trump’s offshore wind moratorium is illegal, overturning a directive that had paused all leasing and permitting for wind projects pending a broad review of regulatory practices.
The January 20 order was struck down as “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law” in a summary judgment issued by U.S. District Judge Patti Saris. The moratorium had effectively frozen offshore wind permitting, leading several developers to cancel or scale back projects amid regulatory uncertainty.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia had filed suit, alleging violations under the Administrative Procedure Act. Judge Saris agreed, writing that the memo breached statutory requirements that agencies must “proceed to conclude…matter[s] presented to [them] within a reasonable time.”
Oceantic Network, a U.S. offshore wind trade group, welcomed the decision. CEO Liz Burdock said: “Today’s decision is welcome news, not just for the thousands of American workers and businesses across 40 states supporting offshore wind in the U.S., but also for the critical relief the wind industry will provide to lower skyrocketing electricity prices for millions of American families with reliable, affordable power.”
She added: “Overturning the unlawful blanket halt to offshore wind permitting activities is needed to achieve our nation’s energy and economic priorities of bringing more power online quickly, improving grid reliability, and driving billions of new American steel manufacturing and shipbuilding investments.”
