WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is intensifying its campaign against renewable energy, asking a federal judge to allow the reconsideration of a major permit for the New England Wind offshore project. This move marks the fourth time in recent months that the administration has sought to roll back federal approvals for large-scale offshore wind farms, fueling a growing political confrontation over the future of U.S. energy policy.
The Interior Department is seeking to revisit the “construction and operations plan” for the project off the coast of Massachusetts, which was originally approved during the Biden administration in 2024. In a filing submitted Tuesday, the Justice Department argued that the project was sanctioned despite significant adverse impacts, asserting that a remand is necessary for the department to conduct a new review.
President Donald Trump, who has frequently characterized offshore wind as “ugly” and unreliable compared to fossil fuels, is leveraging executive orders and administrative actions to stall industry growth. Beyond New England Wind, the administration has signaled its intent to reconsider permits for the Revolution Wind project—which has already completed construction—and the Maryland Offshore Wind Project.
The strategy has sparked immediate backlash on Capitol Hill. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, warned that these aggressive tactics jeopardize a fragile bipartisan effort to streamline federal permitting for critical infrastructure.
“This is how you blow up a permitting deal,” Whitehouse said in a statement Wednesday, referring to a bipartisan legislative package negotiated last September that has yet to face a floor vote.
Industry advocates expressed frustration with the deepening instability. Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, emphasized that reopening established permits creates a climate of dangerous uncertainty for energy developers. “The administration’s actions underscore why Congress needs to get this done,” Milito said, arguing that formal legislative reforms are the only way to provide the consistency required for major investments.
The New England Wind project, developed by Avangrid, is designed to feature up to 129 turbines capable of powering more than 900,000 homes. The project had been the subject of a lawsuit from a local Nantucket-based advocacy group, ACK for Whales, which alleged the government failed to comply with environmental and regulatory statutes.
Critics of the administration’s approach argue that the timing is particularly harmful. “It’s long past time for the Trump administration to realize its war on clean energy is backfiring,” said Pasha Feinberg, an offshore wind strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, noting that the delays are occurring as many Americans continue to struggle with high utility costs.
While the Interior Department maintains that its actions are consistent with its regulatory oversight and do not represent a new policy shift, the pattern of targeting existing projects—including those already operating—continues to cast a shadow over the future of the East Coast energy grid.
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