A federal judge authorizes the resumption of the Empire Wind wind project, which had been blocked by the Trump administration

District Judge Carl J. Nichols on Thursday authorized the resumption of work on a major offshore wind farm, in what represents the second recent court ruling halting attempts by President Donald Trump's administration to block such projects. Nichols, who was appointed by Donald Trump himself, ruled that construction of the Empire Wind project can continue while the court analyzes the merits of the government order that provided for its suspension. In his decision, the federal judge questioned the government's failure to respond to key arguments presented by the company in its court briefs, including the accusation that the Republican administration failed to comply with the corresponding procedures.

The development is owned by Norwegian company Equinor. Its spokesman, David Schoetz, said the company welcomed the court ruling and assured that it will continue to work in coordination with the authorities. According to information on the project itself, Empire Wind would have the capacity to supply electricity to up to 500,000 homes, with the main focus on the state of New York. With the court ruling, the project officially has permission for work to resume while the main litigation against the suspension order issued by the Trump Administration moves forward.

In December, the federal government ordered a halt to work on five offshore wind farms, citing national security concerns that the movement of wind turbine blades could interfere with radar systems. However, defenders of offshore wind energy claim that these security arguments serve as a pretext to stop an energy source that Trump has repeatedly rejected.