New York's top legal official has launched a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to halt construction on two major offshore wind developments, projects expected to deliver clean power to more than a million households.
Legal Challenge Filed in Washington Court
State Attorney General Letitia James filed the legal challenges on Friday in a federal court in Washington D.C. The suit targets the U.S. Department of the Interior's 22 December order that suspended work on the Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind projects off Long Island, citing national security concerns.
James, a Democrat, argued the suspension was arbitrary and unwarranted, noting both ventures had successfully navigated over a decade of rigorous safety and security reviews by federal, state, and local authorities. She warned the pause now directly threatens New York's economic stability and energy grid reliability, prompting her request for judicial intervention.
"New Yorkers deserve clean, reliable energy, good-paying jobs, and a government that follows the law," James stated. "This reckless decision puts workers, families, and our climate goals at risk."
Developers and States Join Legal Fight
The Interior Department's late December order did not only affect the New York projects. It also suspended three other offshore wind developments under construction along the East Coast. The Department's position is that the movement of enormous turbine blades can create radar interference, or "clutter," potentially obscuring genuine targets and creating false ones.
This action aligns with President Trump's longstanding scepticism of offshore wind energy, which he has previously criticised as unsightly, costly, and harmful to wildlife, while promoting fossil fuels for electricity generation.
The specific projects at the heart of New York's case are:
- Empire Wind: Located roughly 14 miles southeast of Long Island, this project being developed by Norway's Equinor is approximately 60% complete and is projected to power over 500,000 homes.
- Sunrise Wind: Situated about 30 miles east of Montauk, this Danish energy firm Orsted development is around 45% finished and is expected to supply electricity to about 600,000 homes.
Both energy companies have initiated their own separate legal proceedings. Furthermore, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island have also filed challenges against the administration's decision.
A Precedent of Opposition
This is not the first legal confrontation led by Attorney General James on this issue. She previously spearheaded a coalition of attorneys general from 17 states and Washington D.C. to challenge an executive order from President Trump that paused approvals, permits, and loans for all wind energy projects.
That earlier order, dated 20 January 2025, was successfully vacated last month by a federal judge in Massachusetts, who sided with the coalition of states. The administration's subsequent stop-work order on the East Coast projects followed just days after that judicial defeat.
Spokespersons for the Interior Department and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, both named in the latest litigation, declined to comment on Friday, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
