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BALTIMORE, MD – Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, with a coalition of 18 attorneys general, won their lawsuit against the Trump administration over its unlawful order to freeze all federal permitting of wind energy projects.
In May, the coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to indefinitely halt all federal approvals necessary for the development of offshore and onshore wind energy projects pending federal review. A federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated those actions, ruling that they were arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law.
“This decision is a win for Maryland families struggling to afford their utility bills and for the workers paid to build our State’s renewable energy infrastructure,” said Attorney General Brown. “Our lawsuit safeguards wind energy development that would lead to lower utility costs and preserves a pathway to ensure a cleaner, safer environment for our children.”
“This decision is a clear victory for Marylanders. Despite the president’s unlawful actions, this ruling means we can continue doing the work that helps families keep more of the money they earn,” said Governor Wes Moore. “Lowering energy costs requires investing in solutions that work, and expanding clean, reliable wind power is one of the most effective tools we have. At a time when too many households are stretched thin by rising utility bills, Maryland is moving forward by cutting red tape and advancing the infrastructure that strengthens our economy. I’m grateful for Attorney General Brown’s leadership in defending our people, our economy, and the Constitution.”
On January 20, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum that, among other things, indefinitely froze all federal approvals needed for the development of wind energy projects pending federal review. Pursuant to this directive, federal agencies stopped all permitting and approval activities.
In their lawsuit, the attorneys general alleged that the federal agencies’ actions harmed their states’ efforts to secure reliable, diversified, and affordable sources of energy to meet their increasing demand for electricity and help reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants, meet clean energy goals, and address climate change. The agencies’ actions also threatened to thwart billions of dollars of states’ investments in wind industry infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce development.
Maryland specifically has invested heavily in wind energy as part of its plan to fight climate change. State law requires Maryland to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045, with wind power serving as a cornerstone of this effort. In 2023, Maryland set an ambitious goal to develop 8,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2031.
The offshore wind industry is expected to be a significant source of good paying jobs and economic benefits to the state. Maryland has also committed millions in state funding to build an in-state wind energy workforce and supply chain. All of these economic opportunities and environmental and public health benefits were threatened by the administration’s abrupt halt on wind energy development.
The coalition argued that federal agencies’ actions violated the Administrative Procedure Act and other federal laws because the agencies, among other things, provided no reasoned explanation for categorically and indefinitely halting all wind energy approvals. The lawsuit also argued that the abrupt halt on all permitting violated numerous federal statutes that prescribe specific procedures and timelines for federal permitting and approvals – procedures the administration wholly disregarded in stopping wind-energy development altogether.
Attorney General Brown was joined in this matter by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
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