Formerly Lamberth Issued A similar ruling for Revolution Wind off Rhode Island, which, like Sunrise, is a project of the Danish company Ørsted. Other justices did so for Empire Wind off New York, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind off Virginia, and Vineyard Wind off Massachusetts, meaning Monday’s decision was the administration’s fifth defeat.
Ørsted He said In a statement Monday that Sunrise “will resume construction as soon as possible, with safety as a top priority, to provide reliable, affordable energy to New York State.” The company also pledged to “determine how it can work with the US administration to reach a quick and lasting solution.”
Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul welcomed Lamberth’s decision, calling it “a huge win for New York’s workers, their families, and our future,” and stressed that it “puts union workers back on their jobs, preserves billions in private investment in New York, and provides the clean, reliable energy our grid needs, especially as severe weather becomes more frequent.”
Despite the series of defeats, the Trump administration, backed by major oil companies, intends to continue fighting the projects. like E&E News I mentioned:
White House spokesman Taylor Rogers emphasized in a response on Monday that Trump was clear that “wind energy is the scam of the century.”
“The Trump administration has paused construction of all large-scale offshore wind projects because our top priority is putting America first and protecting the national security of the American people,” Rogers said. He added, “The administration is looking forward to final victory in this case.”
The Interior Ministry said it had no comment at this time due to pending litigation.
Still, advocates for wind power and other efforts to address the climate emergency caused by fossil fuels are celebrating the courts’ continued rejection of the Trump administration’s “sudden attempt to halt construction on these permitted projects entirely,” Hilary Bright, executive director of the pro-wind energy group Turn Forward, said Monday.
“Together, these five offshore wind projects represent nearly 6 gigawatts of new electricity now under construction along the East Coast, enough energy to serve 2.5 million American homes and businesses,” she noted. “At a time when electricity demand is growing rapidly and grid reliability is under increasing pressure, these projects represent much-needed utility-scale energy resources that are making progress toward completion.”
“We hope that consistent results in court will bode well for the completion of these projects,” Bright said. “Energy experts and grid operators alike recognize that offshore wind is a critical reliability resource for densely populated coastal areas, especially during periods of high demand. Delaying or blocking these projects only increases the risk of higher costs and increased instability for taxpayers.”
“After five rulings and five clear outcomes, it is time to move past the uncertainty of litigation and allow these projects to finish the job they were approved to do,” she said. “Offshore wind strengthens America’s energy security, supports domestic manufacturing and construction jobs, and provides reliable power where it’s needed most. We need to harness this resource, not hold it back.”
Likewise, Nancy Payne, senior counsel for the Sierra Club, said, “The unilateral court victories are proof of what we’ve known all along, which is that Donald Trump is going all out for offshore wind, but we won’t give up without a fight. Communities deserve a cleaner, cheaper, healthier future, and offshore wind will help us achieve that.”
“Despite the barriers that Donald Trump has tried to put in place in an attempt to promote dirty fossil fuels, offshore wind will prevail,” she predicted. “We will continue to advocate for responsible and fair offshore wind from coast to coast, as we fight for an affordable and reliable clean energy future for all.”
Allison Samuel, a senior representative for the state’s Sierra Club campaign, highlighted that in addition to the climate benefits of the project, “we are thrilled to see Sunrise Wind’s 800 workers, most of whom are local New Yorkers, back to work.”
“Once established, Sunrise Wind will supply 600,000 local homes with affordable, reliable and renewable energy – this energy is much needed and especially important during extreme cold snaps and winter storms like Storm Fern,” Samuel said in the wake of the dangerous weather. “Here in New York, South Fork has proven its work in offshore wind, and now is a good time to see Sunrise and Empire Wind come online as well.”
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