The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has dismissed the Trump administration’s appeal in a case concerning a federal pause on wind energy permitting, leaving in place a lower court ruling that vacated the policy. The dispute stems from a presidential memorandum issued on 20 January, which directed federal agencies to pause approvals for wind energy projects pending review. Following the directive, agencies halted permitting and approval activities for wind developments.
The coalition of attorneys general filed a lawsuit in May challenging the policy, arguing that the federal government’s actions were unlawful and lacked a reasoned explanation. In December, a federal court in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated the permitting freeze, finding it arbitrary, capricious and contrary to law.
The federal government initially appealed the ruling but later withdrew the appeal. The Court of Appeals has now formally dismissed the case, leaving the lower court’s decision in place.
The lawsuit, co-led by the attorneys general of Massachusetts and New York and joined by 16 other states and the District of Columbia, argued that the federal actions threatened energy planning, emissions reduction efforts and multi-billion-dollar investments in wind infrastructure and supply chains.
The coalition also argued that the agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act by imposing a categorical and indefinite halt on wind energy approvals without adequate justification, a position upheld by the court.
Massachusetts law requires the state to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with offshore wind forming a key part of that strategy. Projects including Vineyard Wind are already operational or under development, with the state expecting significant future capacity additions from planned wind developments.
