Attorney General Neronha, coalition secure final victory as Court dismisses Trump Administration’s appeal in wind energy permitting case

Attorney General Neronha, coalition secure final victory as Court dismisses Trump Administration's appeal in wind energy permitting case

Published on Monday, June 15, 2026

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and a coalition of 18 attorneys general today announced the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit's dismissal of the Trump Administration's appeal of the states' victory in their lawsuit challenging the federal government's unlawful order to freeze all federal permitting for wind energy projects.

"Wind energy creates jobs and helps stabilize energy prices, neither of which this Administration seems to know how to do," said Attorney General Neronha. "Today's win once again demonstrates that this federal government is not immune from consequences, and our coalition is proving that with each legal victory we achieve. Rhode Islanders and Americans everywhere continue to pay the price, quite literally, for a collective hesitancy in embracing clean energy infrastructure. Wind energy is crucial to bringing energy costs down and keeping them down, and we will continue fighting to ensure a clean energy future for generations to come."

On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum which indefinitely froze all federal approvals needed for the development of wind energy projects pending federal review. Pursuant to this directive, federal agencies stopped all permitting and approval activities. In May 2025, the coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the freeze and in December, a federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts them to be arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law. The federal government appealed that ruling but subsequently decided to drop their appeal. Today, the Court entered a judgement dismissing the appeal and cementing the states' victory.

In their lawsuit, the attorneys general alleged that the federal agencies' actions harmed their states' efforts to secure reliable, diversified, and affordable sources of energy to meet their increasing demand for electricity and help reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants, meet clean energy goals, and address climate change. The agencies' actions also threatened to thwart billions of dollars of states' investments in wind industry infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce development.

The coalition argued, and the court agreed, that federal agencies' actions violated the Administrative Procedure Act because, among other things, the agencies provided no reasoned explanation for categorically and indefinitely halting all wind energy approvals.

Joining Attorney General Neronha in this matter are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

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