Judge Halts Anti‑Renewables

A federal judge in Boston on Tuesday blocked five Trump administration actions that had slowed federal approvals for wind and solar projects. (cnbc.com) Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper granted a preliminary injunction after nine advocacy groups and trade associations sued in December, saying the policies had halted renewable projects nationwide. (cnbc.com) Casper said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on at least some claims under the Administrative Procedure Act and had shown irreparable harm if the rules stayed in place during the case. (news.bloomberglaw.com) One of the blocked policies required Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to personally approve all solar and wind projects on federal lands and waters, adding what the department called “elevated review” to leases, rights of way, construction plans, grants and biological opinions. (abcnews.go.com) The lawsuit also challenged policies that treated wind and solar as less favored energy sources and imposed stricter standards on offshore wind under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, a federal law that governs energy development in offshore waters. (cnbc.com) The case landed as developers race to start projects before federal tax credits for wind and solar expire under a law passed last year by the Republican-controlled Congress. (wbur.org) Trump has pushed federal energy policy toward oil, gas and coal in his second term, while his administration argued the extra review was needed to end what officials called preferential treatment for renewables under President Joe Biden. (abcnews.go.com) The Interior Department said it does not comment on litigation, but added Tuesday that “America sets the global standard for energy production” and said the country produces energy “cleaner, safer, and more reliably than anywhere in the world.” (wbur.org) The ruling follows other court losses for the administration’s anti-wind campaign, including January orders that let construction resume on five offshore wind projects off New England, New York and Virginia. (politico.com) For now, the injunction does not end the lawsuit. It freezes the challenged policies while the case moves forward, and it keeps federal permitting lines open for the plaintiff groups’ wind and solar projects. (news.bloomberglaw.com)