Sierra Club Connecticut Reacts to Federal Judge’s Decision to Vacate Trump’s Unlawful Wind Energy Ban

HARTFORD, Ct. - Last night, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that Donald Trump's executive order banning wind projects in the United States was unlawful and vacated the order.

Donald Trump issuedan executive order on the first day of his administration that paused all leasing, permitting and approvals for wind projects, killing tens of thousands of jobs across the country. Since then, the administration has rescindedpermits for offshore wind projects, haltedprojects that were 80 percent completed, and guttedtax credits allocated for wind energy projects-all to weaken the rapidly growing wind energy industry.

In August, BOEM issued an order to stop work on the almost complete Revolution Wind Project, a 704-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm located in federal waters 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast. A federal judge overturnedthe stop work order in September.

Prior to Donald Trump's assault on wind energy, the industry was one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the country. At the end of 2024, the wind sector employed nearly 150,000 Americans. Because of the administration's attacks on wind, at least 17,000 jobsare in jeopardy in the offshore wind industry alone.

In May, the Sierra Club joined nine other environmental groups in an amicus briefarguing that "the administration's 'Wind Directive' is arbitrary and not based in science, lacks a clear purpose or timeline, and jeopardizes climate goals and public health."

"We are glad to see the Federal Court side with Connecticut's choice for the energy our state and local communities want," said Sierra Club Connecticut Chapter Director Samantha Dynowski. "We are especially grateful for the leadership of Attorney Attorney General Tong who has relentlessly championed Revolution Wind and the right of Connecticut families to homegrown, affordable, clean energy."

"The decision from the Federal Court is a victory for everyone who pays an electricity bill, is part of the clean energy workforce, and breathes air. Americans need cheaper and more reliable energy that does not come at the expense of our health and futures. We are glad to see this illegal order get vacated, and we will continue to advocate for more wind energy projects across the country to lower the cost of energy and create stable, union jobs in our communities," said Sierra Club Senior Advisor Nancy Pyne."We all deserve the peace of mind that the lights will turn on when we flip the switch, and we shouldn't have to pay skyrocketing energy costs for that guarantee. Renewable energy will pave the way to a healthier and more affordable future for us all."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.