Federal judge blocks Trump's attempt to halt new wind projects
Judge Patti Saris ruled that actions committed by the Commerce Department, Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency and Interior Department to suspend any and all wind authorizations were illegal.
U.S. President Donald Trump
Federal District of Massachusetts Judge Patti Saris on Monday officially rejected an attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to halt approvals for any and all new wind energy projectsThe move represents a significant setback to the Republican president's efforts to block renewable energy, which represented one of his presidential campaign promises, in addition to the economic recovery and the immigration crisis inherited from the past administration of former Democratic President Joe Biden.
Judge Patti Saris, who was appointed to her position by former President Bill Clinton, ruled that the actions committed by the Commerce Department, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department to suspend any and all wind permits were illegal. "No permits have been issued since the Wind Order was promulgated, and the Agency Defendants acknowledge that they will not issue any permits at least until they complete the Comprehensive Assessment, for which there is no timeline. That action is contrary to law," wrote Saris, who thus vacated what he went on to describe as the agencies' "wind order," which he determined to be their "decision to suspend issuing all authorizations related to wind energy projects."
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell hailed Saris's ruling as a victory for green jobs and renewable energy in Massachusetts. "Massachusetts has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in offshore wind energy and today we successfully protected those important investments from the Trump Administration's illegal order. This crucial victory also preserves good-paying green jobs and access to reliable, affordable energy that will help Massachusetts meet our climate and clean energy goals," Campbell said in a statement.
Trump has come out against renewable energy several times
On his first day in office, he issued an executive order prohibiting the government from auctioning off rights to build offshore wind farms and also blocking new rights for wind projects on public lands. Since then, the conservative leader has also ordered already-approved wind farms to halt construction.
Saris' decision followed a challenge brought by 17 states governed by Democrats.
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