NEW YORK (AP) – On Friday, New York's Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration due to its decision to halt two significant offshore wind projects that were anticipated to supply power to over 1 million homes in the state. The legal challenges were submitted in federal court in Washington, asserting that the U.S. Department of the Interior's order from December 22 was arbitrary and unjustified.
Attorney General James emphasized that the Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind projects had already undergone more than a decade of rigorous security and safety evaluations by federal, state, and local authorities. She highlighted that the suspension poses a threat to New York’s economy and energy infrastructure, urging the court to take action. “New Yorkers deserve clean, reliable energy, good-paying jobs, and a government that follows the law,” James remarked in a statement, further stating that this decision endangers workers, families, and the state’s climate objectives.
Representatives from the Interior Department and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, both of which are named in the lawsuit, refrained from commenting on the matter, citing ongoing litigation. The Interior Department's order also affected three additional offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast. The department claims that the transportation of large turbine blades may interfere with radar, creating “clutter” that could obscure legitimate moving targets and generate false alerts.
Former President Donald Trump has previously characterized offshore wind developments as unsightly, costly, and harmful to wildlife, advocating for fossil fuels over renewable energy sources for electricity generation. The Empire Wind project, situated approximately 14 miles (22.5 kilometers) southeast of Long Island, is estimated to generate enough power for over 500,000 homes. Equinor, the Norwegian company responsible for the project, has stated that it is roughly 60% complete.
The Sunrise Wind project, located around 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Montauk, is projected to provide electricity to around 600,000 homes. Danish energy firm Orsted, which is developing this project, has indicated it is approximately 45% complete as of now. Both project developers have initiated their own legal actions in addition to the state's lawsuit, which is mirrored by the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Attorney General James previously led a coalition of attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., in challenging Trump's executive order that paused approvals, permits, and funding for all wind energy initiatives, regardless of whether they were onshore or offshore. Recently, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled in favor of the coalition, nullifying the executive order issued on January 20, 2025, just days before the Trump administration enacted the stop-work order on the East Coast wind projects.
