Wind opponents sue Trump Administration to block New York wind projects

Fishing companies, as well as offshore wind opponents, filed a suit on Tuesday to challenge the Trump administration’s decision to reverse its course and allow construction on Empire Wind to resume. Empire Wind is a $5 billion project for a wind farm off New York’s coast.

Protect Our Coast New Jersey and Clean Ocean Action along with ACK for Whales, 12 fishing industry participants, filed a lawsuit in Trenton federal court, New Jersey to reinstate a stop-work order Interior Secretary Doug Burgum had issued in April, halting the construction of Equinor’s wind project.

Burgum's order came after Republican President Donald Trump, on his first day of office in January 20, directed his administration to stop offshore wind lease sales as well as the issuance and granting of permits, leases, and loans both for onshore and offshore projects.

While doing so, he also moved to increase the federal government's assistance for the fossil-fuel industry and maximize production in the United States. Trump promised last year to stop the offshore wind industry.

The administration reversed its decision on May 19, allowing work to resume at Empire Wind. This project is being developed in Norway by Equinor, and will provide electricity for half a milion homes starting in 2027.

In a compromise reached with New York, the administration could see plans to revive a gas pipeline that had been canceled. Burgum was pleased that New York Governor Kathy Hochul would now allow the construction of new gas pipelines.

The lawsuit filed on Tuesday argued that U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management failed to adhere to the Administrative Procedure Act requirements by failing to provide any basis for the restoration of work permits.

Bruce Afran, plaintiff's lawyer, said that the administration was right to recognize the lack of investigation into serious environmental harm caused by Equinor's Project.

In a press release, he stated that "the administration had the right to revoke the Empire Wind permit due to these concerns. They did not have any basis for reinstating the work orders one month later." This lawsuit is to restore the stop-work order.

Equinor refused to comment on this lawsuit, but said in a press release that the project had "gone through years of rigorous permits and studies and has secured all the necessary federal, State and local approvals for construction to begin in 2024."

The agency has not responded to our request for comment. (Reporting and editing by Sonali Paul; Additional reporting by Nichola in Los Angeles, with additional reporting by Nate Raymond from Boston)

(source: Reuters)