Power-generating wind turbines tower over a rural area near Pomeroy, Iowa, on July 5, 2025.
Scott Olson | Getty Images
A federal judge on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s blanket ban on new wind power projects in the United States, a major victory for the wind power industry that has been under the White House’s wing since day one of his administration.
U.S. District Court Judge Patty Sarris of the District of Massachusetts ruled that Trump’s ban was “arbitrary, capricious and contrary to law,” rejecting the president’s actions in their entirety.
On January 20, President Trump issued a memorandum suspending permits and leases for offshore and onshore wind farms pending federal review. Sarris said federal agencies were unable to provide a reasonable explanation for such a drastic change in U.S. policy.
In May, 17 states, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, sued President Trump to overturn his ban. They claimed this created an “existential threat to the wind industry”.
“This is a major victory in our fight to continue to tackle the climate crisis and protect one of our clean, reliable and affordable sources of energy,” James said in a post on social media platform X.
Countries in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, in particular, are pursuing offshore wind projects to reduce carbon emissions and meet future energy demands.
“Offshore wind projects are being given unfair preferential treatment, while other energy industries are held back by burdensome regulations,” White House Press Secretary Taylor Rogers said in a statement.
