18 US states suing Trump over shutdown of wind projects

A total of 18 attorneys general filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging US president Donald Trump’s order to shut down offshore wind projects, stating that such a move was “unlawful and can jeopardise the continued development of a power source critical to the states’ economic vitality, energy mix, public health, and climate goals.”

The court action, filed in the U.S. District Court in Boston, is brought by 17 state attorneys general joined by the attorney general from the District of Columbia. New York and Massachusetts are the states spearheading the move since the Trump administration hit offshore wind projects in those states the hardest.

The lawsuit names New York, Massachusetts, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington State as the plaintiffs.

The complaint stated that neither the president nor any executive branch agencies offered “any detailed justification to explain the abrupt change in longstanding federal policy supporting the development of wind energy”.

This move puts more oil on the offshore wind debate fire, which saw Trump attempt to completely halt the sector and push the country towards fast-tracked oil and gas developments.

“Executive actions encouraged domestic energy development – that is, all but wind and other renewable energy – and directed agencies to shortcut environmental reviews for other forms of energy, the very same reviews the Wind Directive labels as inadequate for wind energy,” the complaint stated.

The Wind Directive has stopped most wind-energy development despite it creating billions of dollars in economic activity and tax payments, and supplying more than 10% of US electricity.

“I am united with [New York] attorney general Letitia James, governor Hochul, and the 17 other states alongside New York for the logical resumption of wind energy projects and to move them forward to secure a reliable and abundant energy supply for future generations,” said Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development  Authority.