The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has appealed a federal court decision that struck down its offshore wind permitting freeze, according to a court filing.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson told a federal district court in Massachusetts that the administration would challenge a Dec. 18 ruling by U.S. District Judge Patti Saris, which found parts of Trump’s January 2025 presidential memorandum unlawful.
The appeal will be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
In her December decision, Saris wrote: “An indefinite halt on issuing (or denying) all authorisations related to wind projects violates the statutory requirement that agencies must ‘proceed to conclude … matter[s] presented to’ them ‘within a reasonable time.’”
The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by 17 states and the District of Columbia alleging violations of the Administrative Procedure Act.
The decision was welcomed by the U.S. offshore wind industry, which had opposed the permitting pause.
