Overview
- The Department of Justice filed an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit after a district judge voided parts of President Trump’s day-one wind directive.
- In December, Judge Patti Saris ruled the permitting pause unlawful and vacated Section 2, citing concrete economic harms to states such as Massachusetts.
- Section 1, which halts new offshore wind leasing, remains in effect, leaving leasing activity on hold despite the ruling on permits.
- Separate federal injunctions have allowed several East Coast projects to keep building, including Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind and Vineyard Wind 1.
- The administration frames the pause as a temporary review focused on security and reliability, while plaintiff states and environmental groups cite threats to investment, jobs, and tax revenue; the First Circuit will now set a briefing schedule.