US Judge Blocks Trump Policies on Wind Solar Approvals

A federal judge in Boston on Tuesday blocked several Trump administration policies aimed at tightening approvals for wind and solar energy projects on federal lands and waters, delivering a legal win for renewable energy developers who argued the measures violated federal procedures.

Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of nine advocacy organizations and trade groups, including RENEW Northeast and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. The ruling, which applies to members of these groups, halts enforcement of five specific agency actions: new Interior Department review rules requiring multiple levels of approval from senior officials; a ban on certain wildlife permitting processes; land use restrictions; a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers memorandum; and a legal opinion that imposed stricter standards under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act for offshore wind projects.

Casper determined that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claims under the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires agencies to justify policy changes with...