A lawsuit against Trump to halt energy policies in the U.S. offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind, and Nova Scotia, a source of renewable energy in Nova Scotia
The suit claims that Trump has attacked wind energy in an “arbitrary and capricious” way. The Administrative Procedure Act allows courts to deem federal agency actions illegal if they’re found to be capricious.
The New York Attorney General stated that the administration was ruining one of the fastest-growing sources of clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said Democratic attorneys general are “using lawfare to stop the president’s popular energy agenda,” instead of working with him to unleash American energy and lower prices for families.
Rogers told The Associated Press that the American people voted for the president to restore energy dominance and that people in blue states should not pay the price of the Democrats’ climate agenda.
The Biden administration saw offshore wind as a climate change solution, setting national goals, holding lease sales and approving nearly a dozen commercial-scale projects. Trump is reversing those energy policies. He’s boosting fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, which cause climate change, arguing it’s necessary for the U.S. to have the lowest-cost energy and electricity in the world.
In April the Trump administration ordered Equinor to halt construction of Empire Wind, a 30% complete project located southeast of New York, because of its opposition to wind. The approval appeared to have been rushed, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Massachusetts invested in offshore wind to make it easier for residents to get green jobs and reliable, affordable energy. Vineyard Wind is one of three offshore wind projects in the state. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied to hear a case brought by fishermen’s organizations challenging the approval of Vineyard Wind.
Large, ocean-based wind farms are the linchpin of state plans to shift to renewable energy, particularly in populous East Coast states with limited land. The nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm opened a year ago. The waters surrounding Block Island are controlled by Rhode Island.
Elsewhere, political leaders are trying to rapidly increase wind energy. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a major investment in wind power in April while hosting an international summit on energy security. Nova Scotia plans to offer leases for five gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said in Virginia last week at an Oceantic Network conference.
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Over a decade of experience as a science reporter, she covers energy and the environment. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home , a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals.
Trump’s election campaign received more than $75 million in contributions from oil and gas interests. The president has also continued to spread misinformation that falsely links offshore wind projects to whale deaths without evidence.
The order to halt work is unwarranted in our view. This is a question of the rights and obligations granted under legally issued permits, and security of investments based on valid approvals,” Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor ASA, said in an April 29 press release.