Attorney General Neronha joins coalition to stop Trump from halting development of wind energy

“Despite its affinity for hot air, this Administration’s attack on wind is not unexpected,” said Attorney General Neronha.

From a press release:

Today, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its unlawful attempt to freeze wind energy development.

“Despite its affinity for hot air, this Administration’s attack on wind is not unexpected,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Mere hours after taking office, this President issued an executive order reaffirming his commitment to dismantling substantial clean energy progress in this country. The development and implementation of renewable energy resources, including wind energy, is a crucial part of stabilizing energy prices at a time when Rhode Islanders are struggling to pay skyrocketing energy bills. Further, the continued development of wind energy will help us meet our state’s Act on Climate goals, provide quality jobs for Rhode Islanders, and help maintain a habitable planet for generations to come. We can’t afford any setbacks when it comes to climate, and we will fight to make sure our progress isn’t lost.”

On January 20, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum that, among other things, indefinitely halted all federal approvals necessary for the development of offshore and onshore wind energy projects pending federal review. Pursuant to this directive, federal agencies have stopped all permitting and approval activities, and in one case, have even stopped a fully permitted project in New York that had already begun construction. Wind energy is a homegrown source of reliable, affordable energy that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, creates billions of dollars in economic activity and tax payments, and supplies more than 10% of the country’s electricity.

The attorneys general allege that the President’s directive harms their states’ efforts to secure reliable, diversified, and affordable energy sources to meet their increasing electricity demand, help reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants, meet clean energy goals, and address climate change. The directive also threatens to thwart the states’ significant investments in wind industry infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce development, which already total billions of dollars.

The Administration’s directive and implementation undermine Rhode Island’s ability to procure additional wind-generated power to meet the state’s energy and environmental requirements, including statutory requirements to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions on the path to net-zero by 2050 and to attain 100% renewable energy by 2033. As of 2024, Rhode Island’s clean-energy portfolio included 148 megawatts of onshore wind and 430 megawatts of offshore wind. Delaying or preventing the development of new wind energy in the region prevents New England states, including Rhode Island, from bringing new energy resources online that are important to ensure a reliable grid and cleaner renewable energy, and to combat the volatility of fossil fuel prices in the region.

The coalition argues that the President’s directive and federal agencies’ subsequent implementation of it violate the Administrative Procedure Act and other federal laws because they, among other things, provide no reasoned explanation for categorically and indefinitely halting all wind energy development. This sudden change reverses longstanding federal policy and is inconsistent with recent federal action propping up other forms of energy. The lawsuit also alleges that the abrupt halt on all permitting violates 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.

In filing this lawsuit, the attorneys general are asking the Court to declare the President’s directive illegal and prevent the Administration from taking any action to delay or prevent wind energy development.

Joining Attorney General Neronha in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.