Trump administration’s legal setbacks are good news for offshore wind — and the grid

The Trump administration faced significant legal setbacks after federal judges allowed construction to resume on three major offshore wind projects on the U.S. East Coast—Revolution Wind (Rhode Island), Empire Wind (New York), and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (Virginia). These projects had been halted by the Department of the Interior in December over national security concerns, specifically the potential interference of wind turbines with radar operations. However, courts found the administration’s reasoning insufficient and arbitrary, with judges questioning the government's failure to adequately address developer arguments and the rationale behind stopping construction when the main concern was operational interference. While two other projects, Sunrise Wind and Vineyard Wind 1, remain in legal limbo, the resumption of these three projects is a positive development for offshore wind energy. The East Coast has the potential to generate up to 110 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2050, which could significantly benefit densely populated regions with high electricity costs and strained grids. Offshore wind is seen as a key renewable energy source