WA joins states suing Trump over illegal attacks on wind energy development

SEATTLE — Washington state filed suit today alongside 18 attorneys general against the Trump administration over its unlawful attempt to freeze the development of wind energy.

“We can’t unleash American energy by kneecapping some of the fastest growing, most innovative, and cleanest resources in the country,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “Without a robust clean energy economy, we will see worsening climate change, more expensive energy from toxic fossil fuels, fewer jobs, and fewer solutions to our greatest challenges.”

On Jan. 20, President Trump issued a presidential memo that indefinitely halted all federal approvals necessary for the development of offshore and onshore wind energy projects pending federal review. Federal agencies have stopped all permitting and approval activities, and have even stopped a fully permitted project in New York that had already begun construction.

Wind energy is a homegrown source of reliable, affordable energy that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, creates billions of dollars in economic activity and tax payments, and supplies more than 10% of the country’s electricity. 

The attorneys general say the president’s directive harms their states’ efforts to secure reliable, diversified, and affordable sources of energy to meet their increasing demand for electricity and help reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants, meet clean energy goals, and address climate change. The directive also threatens to thwart the states’ significant investments in wind industry infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce development—investments that already total billions of dollars. 

The memo and associated halt on project approvals could threaten Washington’s ability to meet its greenhouse gas emissions requirements and renewable energy goals. It also threatens an increasingly important part of Washington’s economy. Washington has also enacted multiple state laws that require the phase out of polluting fossil fuels to be replaced with clean renewable energy like that from wind.

Wind power is the second largest contributor to Washington’s renewable energy generation after hydroelectric power. In 2024, Washington generated 8,421 Megawatt hours from wind power alone. In contrast to fossil fuels, which are often subject to volatile market conditions, wind power enhances Washington’s energy security and economic stability.

The president’s directive and federal agencies’ subsequent implementation of it violate the Administrative Procedure Act and other federal laws by providing no reasoned explanation for categorically and indefinitely halting all wind energy development — a sudden change that reverses longstanding federal policy and is inconsistent with recent federal action propping up other forms of energy. The abrupt halt on all permitting violates numerous federal statutes that prescribe specific procedures and timelines for federal permitting and approvals — procedures the administration wholly disregarded in stopping wind energy development altogether.         

In filing this lawsuit, the attorneys general are asking the court to declare the president’s directive illegal and prevent the administration from taking any action to delay or prevent wind energy development. 

Joining AG Brown in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, and Rhode Island.

A copy of the complaint is available here.

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