A coalition of 17 states, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, has taken the Trump administration to court over its abrupt suspension of federal wind energy project approvals. The lawsuit, filed Monday, challenges a new policy direction announced by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office—an action critics say undermines both clean energy progress and economic growth.
The heart of the complaint is Trump’s presidential memorandum, which effectively froze the country’s wind energy pipeline. The directive claimed to be in defense of the nation’s fishing industry and energy affordability. But James and her counterparts from 16 other states argue it’s a politically motivated move that contradicts environmental goals, hurts job prospects, and threatens billions in clean energy investments.
A Long-Standing Grudge Against Wind
President Trump has made his dislike of wind turbines widely known, once bizarrely claiming they cause whales to behave erratically. His memorandum this year marked a new escalation, halting all federal permits for wind projects.
The attorneys general pushing back see this as more than a symbolic swipe. “This isn’t just anti-wind; it’s anti-progress,” said James in a statement. “Blocking these projects delays our clean energy future, threatens high-paying union jobs, and leaves communities stuck with outdated, polluting fossil fuel infrastructure.”
They also emphasized that numerous studies have shown wind power to be one of the cleanest and most environmentally friendly forms of energy, with minimal adverse impact on marine ecosystems or wildlife—directly countering the administration’s justification.
Mixed Messages from the White House
What’s especially striking about the lawsuit is how it highlights contradictions in federal energy policy. On the same day Trump issued his anti-wind order, he also declared a “national energy emergency,” warning that states like New York had insufficient energy capacity and needed a more “reliable, diversified, and affordable” supply.
The attorneys general argue the administration’s logic doesn’t add up. “You can’t say we’re in an energy crisis and then block one of the most reliable and cost-effective solutions to that problem,” one official said.
This contradiction came to a head when the Department of the Interior abruptly halted Empire Wind, a major offshore wind farm planned off New York’s coast. The project was expected to power hundreds of thousands of homes and create thousands of jobs. Interior Secretary Doug Burngrum cited Trump’s memorandum when announcing the pause, claiming the Biden administration hadn’t sufficiently reviewed environmental risks.
A Tech Sector at Odds With Policy
The Trump administration’s stance on wind energy has also raised eyebrows in the tech world. While Trump has publicly supported artificial intelligence (AI) development, tech leaders warn that without renewable energy, particularly wind, the infrastructure needed to support AI cannot be sustainably powered.
“Data centers need a steady and growing supply of electricity, and clean energy is essential to meeting that demand without worsening emissions,” said a representative from a major data center group. “You can’t promote AI while slamming the brakes on the clean power needed to run it.”
Fossil Fuel Money in the Mix
Fueling criticism of the administration’s motives is the role of the fossil fuel industry in Trump’s political comeback. According to The New York Times, the oil and gas sector contributed a massive $75 million to his 2024 reelection campaign.
Environmental advocates and political observers suggest that the wind energy ban is less about protecting fishermen or lowering energy costs and more about rewarding deep-pocketed donors.
“This is payback, plain and simple,” said one official involved in the lawsuit. “Clean energy threatens the oil industry’s market share, and this administration is doing its part to eliminate that threat.”
A Unified Legal Push for Clean Energy
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, seeks to reverse the memorandum and block any future efforts by the administration to halt wind development on similar grounds. Alongside New York, attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia have joined the case.
These states argue the federal freeze conflicts with their own clean energy plans and will slow climate progress at a time when action is urgently needed. Many of the impacted states have laws requiring a rapid shift away from fossil fuels—a goal made nearly impossible by sudden federal interference.
White House: States Undermining Energy Agenda
The White House pushed back on the lawsuit, framing it as a political stunt. “Instead of working with President Trump to unleash American energy and lower prices for American families, Democrat Attorneys General are using lawfare to stop the President’s popular energy agenda,” a spokesperson said.
They defended the administration’s energy strategy as one focused on affordability and reliability and suggested wind power does not align with those principles.
