Three major energy companies went to court this week to challenge the Trump administration’s halt on offshore wind development, as President Donald Trump reiterated his intent to block all new wind projects in the United States.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Three energy developers appeared in federal court this week seeking to overturn the Trump administration’s decision to freeze multiple offshore wind projects along the East Coast, even as President Donald Trump publicly declared that his administration will not approve new wind energy developments.
The Danish firm Ørsted, Norway-based Equinor, and Dominion Energy have each filed lawsuits asking federal courts to vacate a Dec. 22 order that paused five large offshore wind projects over unspecified national security concerns.
Ørsted’s case was the first to be heard, with arguments Monday centered on its Revolution Wind project, which the company is developing in partnership with Skyborn Renewables to supply electricity to Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Trump administration has not disclosed details underlying its national security rationale for the freeze.
Speaking Friday during a meeting with oil industry executives about investment opportunities in Venezuela, Trump sharply criticized wind power, calling wind farms “losers” that lose money, damage landscapes, and kill birds.
“I’ve told my people we will not approve windmills,” Trump said. “Maybe we get forced to do something because some stupid person in the Biden administration agreed to do something years ago. We will not approve any windmills in this country.”
The freeze marks a reversal of energy priorities pursued under former President Joe Biden, whose administration aggressively promoted offshore wind as part of a broader climate agenda. Trump began dismantling those policies on his first day back in office through executive orders aimed at expanding oil, natural gas, and coal production.
The paused projects include Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, and two New York developments—Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind. New York Attorney General Letitia James filed suit Friday over the New York projects.
In Monday’s hearing before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, attorney Janice Schneider, representing Revolution Wind, said the stop-work order came at a critical point, with construction nearly 90% complete and power delivery to the grid only weeks away.
Schneider told the court the delay is costing more than $1.4 million per day and jeopardizes the project’s schedule, as a specialized installation vessel has only a limited window—expiring in February—to complete turbine installation.
She said the company takes national security issues seriously but has not been provided details of the government’s concerns, even in unclassified form, nor allowed experts with security clearances to review the allegations.
“We do think that this court should be very skeptical of the government’s true motives here,” Schneider said.
Department of Justice attorney Peter Torstensen countered that national security considerations outweigh any claimed financial harm, arguing that classified materials identify new risks that justify the pause.
Equinor, which owns Empire Wind through Empire Wind LLC, warned in court filings that the project faces “likely termination” if construction does not resume by Friday, citing the complexity of coordinating specialized vessels with limited availability. Its hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
Molly Morris, Equinor’s senior vice president overseeing Empire Wind, said construction is well advanced and the project would provide a significant new power source for New York. She added that federal officials have not explained the nature of any national security concerns or how the company could mitigate them.
“I would like to think that offshore wind is, and will continue to be, part of an all-of-the-above energy solution, which our country desperately needs,” Morris said.
Dominion Energy Virginia, the developer of Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, was the first company to file suit. It is asking a judge to block the administration’s order, calling it arbitrary, unconstitutional, and beyond executive authority. Its hearing is scheduled for Friday.
The court challenges set the stage for a broader legal battle over U.S. energy policy as the Trump administration moves to unwind offshore wind development while accelerating fossil fuel production.
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