Judge Smacks Down One Offshore Wind Stop-Work Order

On December 22, 2023, President Donald Trump ordered a halt to work on five major offshore wind projects along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, citing a newly uncovered national security threat. This abrupt stop affected hundreds of workers and disrupted construction across multiple states. However, on January 12, 2024, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth issued a preliminary injunction allowing work to resume on the Revolution Wind project in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Judge Lamberth, appointed by President Reagan and known for his strict adherence to legal ethics, had previously blocked a similar stop-work order in August 2023, rejecting the Interior Department’s vague national security claims. The article suggests that the Trump administration’s stop-work order was politically motivated, possibly intended to distract from the release of sensitive Jeffrey Epstein-related documents. The Department of the Interior’s sudden national security justification lacked transparency and failed to notify state governors in advance. Judge Lamberth’s ruling indicates judicial skepticism toward the administration’s