Three energy developers are challenging the Trump administration’s freeze on their offshore wind projects in court this week, while President Donald Trump says his goal is to never see any windmills built.
Danish energy company Orsted, Norwegian company Equinor and Dominion Energy Virginia each filed lawsuits asking the court to reverse and reverse the government’s Dec. 22 order freezing five large projects on the East Coast due to national security concerns. Orsted’s first hearing on his Revolutionary Winds project is scheduled for Monday. Orsted is building Revolution Wind with partner Skyborn Renewables to provide power to Rhode Island and Connecticut.
The administration has not disclosed specific details about the national security concerns, but Trump said on Friday during a meeting with oil industry executives about investing in Venezuela that wind farms were “losers.” He said they were losing money, damaging the landscape and killing birds.
“I’ve told my people we will not approve windmills,” Trump said. “Maybe we’re being forced to do something because some idiot in the Biden administration agreed to do something years ago. We’re not going to greenlight any windmills in this country.”
The Biden administration seeks to increase offshore wind power as a solution to climate change. Trump began reversing the country’s energy policy on his first day in office, issuing a series of executive orders aimed at boosting oil, natural gas and coal.
The Trump administration has suspended leasing at the Vineyard Wind project under construction in Massachusetts, the Revolution Wind project, the Virginia Coast offshore wind project, and two projects in New York: Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind. New York’s attorney general sued the Trump administration on Friday over Empire Style and Sunrise Wind.
Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind are both Orsted’s major offshore wind projects. Rhode Island and Connecticut filed their own requests in court in an attempt to save the Winds of Revolution.
Equinor owns Empire Wind. Its limited liability company, Empire Wind LLC, said the project “may be terminated” if construction cannot resume by Friday because the order disrupts a strictly designed construction schedule that relies on very limited available ships. Its hearing will be held on Wednesday.
Molly Morris, Equinor’s senior vice president for Empire Wind, said they hope to build the project, which is progressing well and will provide New York with a significant new source of vital power. Morris said federal officials did not explain to them the national security concerns or how to mitigate them.
“I think offshore wind is and will continue to be part of all of the above energy solutions that our country desperately needs,” she said.
Dominion Energy Virginia, which is developing offshore wind off the coast of Virginia, was the first company to file a lawsuit. It asked a judge to block the order, calling it “arbitrary and capricious” and unconstitutional. Its hearing will be held on Friday.
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Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.
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