The New York attorney general's office is suing the Trump administration over its blockage of the state's offshore wind projects.
Just before the holidays, the federal government stopped work for a second time on two wind projects under construction, Sunrise and Empire, which are located just off the coast of Long Island. The U.S. Department of the Interior suspended the projects on the basis of undisclosed national security concerns.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, Attorney General Letitia James' office called those orders “arbitrary and capricious,” saying both projects underwent more than a decade of extensive national security and safety reviews, as well as public comments and environmental impact statements. The U.S. Department of Defense approved both projects, James pointed out and asked the court to reverse the government’s decision.
“New Yorkers deserve clean, reliable energy, good-paying jobs, and a government that follows the law,” she said in a statement. “These projects were carefully reviewed and already under construction when the federal government pulled the plug without explanation.”
The suit is the latest in a battery of legal actions taken by James against the White House, even as President Donald Trump has sought unsuccessfully to hang criminal charges on his longtime foe.
The stop work orders came weeks after James' office successfully sued the administration over its federal freeze on wind permits. Friday’s lawsuit calls the national security basis for the halt “vague and unexplained,” claiming it could allow for indefinite extensions. James’ office expressed “serious concern that the administration is attempting to revive an unlawful policy through new means.” The suit argues that the order violates the Administrative Procedure Act.
The White House declined to provide further details around security issues, but did express disapproval of the wind industry in general.
“President Trump has been clear: Wind energy is the scam of the century. For years, Americans have been forced to pay billions more for the least reliable source of energy,” said Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson. “The Trump administration has paused the construction of all large-scale offshore wind projects because our number one priority is to put America First and protect the national security of the American people.”
The 90-day halt is based on classified information and the order does not offer any further details on specific national security concerns.
Halting New York’s wind projects could affect thousands of workers employed at the job sites, along with billions of dollars that have been invested both privately and publicly in the efforts and the economic opportunities they stand to create.
Port facilities at Staten Island's Arthur Kill Terminal are being built to serve as assembly and staging areas for wind turbines. The South Brooklyn Marine Terminal is also being redeveloped as a supply hub. Similar projects are underway on Long Island.
Trump critics say the projects would provide clean energy at a time when New York is increasingly reliant on fossil fuels, amid a climate crisis that grows more dire each year.
“Delaying or derailing these clean energy projects would prolong New York City and Long Island’s reliance on the region’s decades-old fossil-fuel plants, which send significant pollution into communities and result in higher energy costs for consumers,” said Sophie Hamlin, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office. “The delay would also threaten the state’s ability to meet its legally mandated clean energy targets, including achieving 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and a zero-emissions electric grid by 2040.”
The Empire 1 wind Project, located about 14 miles southeast of Long Island, was scheduled to provide power next year with 54 turbines in the Atlantic Ocean. The project would be the first offshore wind power source connected to New York City. Norwegian builder Equinor said the project is well over half complete.
The Sunrise wind project, located about 30 miles east of Montauk, was also expected to be operational around the same time. The project is nearly at its halfway point, according to its Danish builder, Orsted.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has faced mounting criticism over her own energy policies, commended the attorney general's office for fighting the federal directive.
“The Trump administration's incomprehensible obsession with shutting down these fully permitted projects lacks legal justification, hurts his stated goal of U.S. energy independence, and will cost New York thousands of jobs," Hochul said in a prepared statement. "These unlawful actions cannot stand.”
