A federal court has ruled that the Trump Administration’s freeze on wind energy development was unlawful, following a lawsuit brought by California and other states. The decision from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacates an executive memorandum issued on January 20, 2025, which had halted all federal approvals needed for offshore and onshore wind projects pending an indefinite review.
The now-vacated directive led federal agencies to stop all permitting activities related to wind energy. In California, five federal offshore wind leases are in place—two near Humboldt and three off Morro Bay—aimed at supplying clean energy to power approximately 1.6 million homes. These projects are also expected to support local economies and create thousands of union jobs.
Attorney General Rob Bonta welcomed the court’s decision. “Today, we celebrate another victory against the Trump Administration. A court has agreed with California and our sister states nationwide: The Trump Administration’s attempt to thwart states’ efforts to make energy more clean, reliable, and affordable for our residents is unlawful and cannot stand,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The Trump Administration seems intent on raising costs on American families at every juncture — and California is equally committed to challenging every one of its illegal attempts to make life more expensive for Californians.”
Bonta joined a multistate coalition in May to challenge the memorandum, arguing it would undermine state efforts to secure diversified and affordable energy sources, reduce harmful emissions, achieve clean energy targets, and protect investments in infrastructure and workforce development.
Wind energy currently supplies over 10% of electricity in the United States while supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and generating billions in economic activity.