Economy

Judge hands offshore wind another victory against Trump, clearing way for NY project

January 15, 2026

Judge hands offshore wind another victory against Trump, clearing way for NY projectA federal judge has cleared the way for a New York offshore wind project to resume constructionByMICHAEL PHILLIS Associated Press and JENNIFER MCDERMOTT Associated PressJanuary 15, 2026, 11:52 AMWASHINGTON -- A federal judge Thursday cleared the way for a New York offshore wind project to resume construction, a victory for the developer who said a Trump administration order to pause it would likely kill the project in a matter of days. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled construction on the Empire Wind project could go forward while he considers the merits of the government’s order to suspend the project. He faulted the government for not responding to key points in Empire Wind’s court filings, including the contention that the administration violated proper procedure. Norwegian company Equinor owns Empire Wind.

Credit: Abcnews

Key Highlights

Spokesperson David Schoetz said they welcome the court's decision and will continue to work in collaboration with authorities.
It’s the second developer to prevail in court against the administration this week. The Trump administration froze five big offshore wind projects on the East Coast days before Christmas, citing national security concerns.
Trump has targeted offshore wind from his first days back in the White House, most recently calling wind farms “losers” that lose money, destroy the landscape and kill birds. Developers and states sued seeking to block the order.
Large, ocean-based wind farms are the linchpin of plans to shift to renewable energy in East Coast states that have limited land for onshore wind turbines or solar arrays. On Monday, a judge ruled that the Danish energy company Orsted could resume its project to serve Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Senior Judge Royce Lamberth said the government did not sufficiently explain the need for a complete stop to construction.

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Sources

Judge hands offshore wind another victory against Trump, clearing way for NY project

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