WIN: Judge Blocks Trump’s Efforts to Kneecap Renewables

Boston — Today, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled in favor of renewable energy developers, temporarily blocking a number of the Trump administration’s relentless and aggressive attacks on the industry. Since taking office, Donald Trump and his administration have thrown up numerous roadblocks to clean energy development, including five separate agency actions challenged in this case.

Donald Trump’s administration has also issued multiple stop work orders on offshore wind projects — all of which have been successfully challenged in court, scrapped billions of dollars for renewable energy, and even paid off energy companies to abandon their renewable energy plans using taxpayer dollars.

Despite the obstacles put up by Donald Trump, renewable energy is making progress to lower energy bills and deliver reliable, clean energy. Last month, multiple offshore wind projects started delivering power to the grid in New England and Mid-Atlantic while Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts completed construction.

The Sierra Club, together with other environmental groups, submitted a friend of the court brief supporting developers’ efforts to block the unlawful impediments to renewable development.

In response, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Director Laurie Williams issued the following statement: 

“Today’s victory is more proof that the Trump administration has no legal authority to take these unprecedented actions to block renewable energy. Americans face sky-high electricity bills, and renewable energy is the cheapest, cleanest, and fastest solution to a growing affordability crisis — and yet, the Trump admin has been doing everything it can to stop it from coming online. The Sierra Club is proud to be a part of this victory that will unleash the clean energy that Americans want, and the lower cost electricity that we deserve.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.