Clinton-appointed judge rules Trump cannot block new wind farms

Clinton-nominated Judge Patti Saris ruled Monday to overturn President Donald Trump’s day-one executive order directing agencies to pause issuing new or renewed wind project permits pending a “comprehensive assessment.”

Trump’s order paused new or renewed offshore wind leases on a wide swath of federal waters and called for several agencies led by the Department of the Interior to complete an assessment on wind projects’ environmental and economic impacts. Saris ruled Monday that the “wind order” was illegal, vacating it.

“After review of the parties’ submissions and a hearing, the Court concludes that the Wind Order constitutes a final agency action that is arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law,” Saris’s ruling reads. “Accordingly, the Court vacates the Wind Order and declares it unlawful.”

gov.uscourts.mad.284290.234.0_1 by audreystreb

The Trump administration has issued work stop orders and revoked permits for wind energy projects, though a Reagan-appointed judge overruled the administration’s work stop order for the massive Revolution Wind project in September.

In contrast, the Biden administration pushed for wind and solar projects through billions in taxpayer subsidies, grants, and loans. A spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Biden administration was skirting environmental reviews and “rubber-stamping” offshore wind projects.

Trump has repeatedly railed against wind energy, writing on Truth Social on Aug. 20 that “any State that has built and relied on WINDMILLS and SOLAR for power are seeing RECORD BREAKING INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY COSTS. THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY!”

White House Spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the DCNF in a statement that “under Joe Biden’s Green New Scam, offshore wind projects were given unfair, preferential treatment while the rest of the energy industry was hindered by burdensome regulations.”

“President Trump’s day one executive order instructed agencies to review leases and permitting practices for wind projects with consideration for our country’s growing demands for reliable energy, effects on energy costs for American families, the importance of marine life and fishing industry, and the impacts on ocean currents and wind patterns,” Rogers said. “President Trump has ended Joe Biden’s war on American energy and unleashed America’s energy dominance to protect our economic and national security.”

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