18 States Sue Over Trump’s Halting of Wind Power Projects

The New York Times ^ | May 5, 2025, 6:05 p.m. ET | Karen Zraick

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Eighteen states sued the Trump administration Monday over its halting of permits for wind-energy projects, arguing that its actions posed an existential threat to the burgeoning industry.

“This administration is devastating one of our nation’s fastest-growing sources of clean, reliable and affordable energy,” said Attorney General Letitia James of New York, which is one of the plaintiffs. She said the halt threatened “the loss of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions in investments” and was “delaying our transition away from the fossil fuels that harm our health and our planet.”

The halt on federal permits for wind energy was first laid out in a Jan. 20 executive order, one of a barrage that President Trump signed immediately upon taking office. It directed agencies to stop all permits for wind farms pending federal review.

The lawsuit says that, by complying, federal agencies have put major investments that have already been made at risk. The order also instructed the United States attorney general and the interior secretary to explore “terminating or amending” existing leases to wind farms, further increasing uncertainty for companies.

The wind industry provides about 10 percent of the nation’s electricity, and has many new projects under development, particularly in the Great Plains and the Atlantic Ocean.

Last month, the Trump administration halted a major wind farm under construction off the coast of Long Island, the Empire Wind project. It was designed to provide enough electricity to power a half-million homes. It had already received the permits it needed, but Interior Secretary Doug Burgum suggested the Biden administration’s analysis during the approval process was rushed and insufficient.

Ms. James noted that Mr. Trump had also declared an energy emergency. Energy experts have called that declaration overstated. Nevertheless, she said, the moratorium on wind permits is...

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Never give up the con.

[9YearLurker]

Good. We’ve killed enough birds and created enough massive blades to bury for yet another impractical and unreliable, parttime energy source.

[Paladin2]

18 States want to kill all eagles and bats.

[Paladin2]

Blades can’t be burned to partly fire cement kilns?

[FLNittany]

18 states apparently like wiping their collective asses w/ $100 bills.

[quantim]

Nice collection of losers:

The coalition includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Washington, D.C. (Per NPR)

[Robert A Cook PE]

Those 18 (democrat party) DA’s prove it was zzALWAYS about the tax money going to democrat party donors.

[Billthedrill]

So let the states pick up the tab if it’s so vital to them. New York chose well when they sent Letitia James into anything involving graft and corruption. You want expertise, she’s got it.

[Seaplaner]

Between wind power projects and blood thirsty cats, it’s a wonder that we have many birds left.

[Lisbon1940]

PDJT is not a fan of cats.

[fella]

They like what happened in Iberia.

[Liz]

The 18 (democrat) state DA’s prove it was ALWAYS
about tax money going to democrat party donors.

---

Amen.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Maryland, of course. Communist scum ruling my old state.

[daler]

The usual suspects.

[Clutch Martin]

There are other technologies now, better too.

[No name given]

And it’s all blue run states.

[silent majority rising]

“This administration is devastating one of our nation’s fastest-growing sources of clean, reliable and affordable energy.” It is not clean when you have start burying the blades. It is not dependable because it flies on wind and the batteries are insufficient, and it’s not affordable as it rules on inefficient batteries and it is not compatible with our current grid.

[Tawiskaro]

More at Twelve Dozen Four-by-Fours at Amazon.com

[Deaf Smith]

Get rid of the federal subsidies for wind & solar generation and new projects come to a halt.

[gundog]

Can Trump counter-sue under the ESA? That’d be rich.