Wind Energy – Setback Trump
In a significant setback for the Trump administration’s efforts to curb offshore wind development, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled on February 2, 2026, to allow construction to resume on Ørsted’s Sunrise Wind project off New York’s Long Island.
The decision lifts a federal halt imposed under President Donald Trump, marking the fifth court victory for the wind industry against similar stop-work orders. This ruling comes amid ongoing legal battles over national security concerns cited by the administration, underscoring the tensions between renewable energy ambitions and federal policy priorities in a state already grappling with some of the nation’s highest electricity costs.
The Sunrise Wind project, a 924-megawatt offshore wind farm developed by Danish energy giant Ørsted in partnership with Eversource, was approximately 45% complete when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a stop-work order in late 2025.
Ørsted has invested over $7 billion in the project, which is designed to power hundreds of thousands of New York homes and contribute to the state’s goal of 70% renewable energy by 2030.
