Last night, a coalition of 18 attorneys general, led by Attorney General Ellison, achieved a legal victory against the Trump Administration regarding federal wind energy permitting. The lawsuit challenged an order issued in January by President Trump that indefinitely halted all federal approvals required for both offshore and onshore wind energy projects while a federal review was pending.
A federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that the administration’s actions were arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful. The court vacated the freeze on wind energy permitting.
Attorney General Ellison commented on the outcome: “I am pleased to have defeated Donald Trump’s senseless attack on wind energy. Minnesotans are counting on our state to keep energy costs as low as possible, help create good paying jobs, and combat climate change, and wind energy is helping us achieve all those goals. In fact, wind already supplies a quarter of all electricity in Minnesota. I will continue to do everything I can to stand up to the Trump Administration when it tramples on our rights or makes it harder for Minnesotans to afford their lives.”
Wind power plays a significant role in Minnesota’s electricity generation. It accounts for one-fourth of all electricity produced in the state and three-fourths of its renewable energy output. State law requires utilities to provide carbon-free electricity by 2040. In 2023, Minnesota ranked eighth nationally in wind capacity.
The attorneys general argued that stopping federal permitting harmed their states’ ability to secure reliable and affordable sources of energy and undermined efforts to reduce emissions and meet clean energy targets. They also said it threatened investments in infrastructure and workforce development related to the wind industry.
The lawsuit claimed that federal agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act and other laws by failing to provide justification for halting all approvals and disregarding statutory procedures required for permitting decisions.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington joined Minnesota in this case.
