A federal judge has ruled that construction of the Sunrise Wind offshore energy project — designed to power roughly 600,000 homes in New York — may move forward, marking the latest legal setback for the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze offshore wind development.
Judge Royce Lamberth determined Monday that the federal government failed to prove offshore wind posed an immediate national security threat requiring a nationwide halt. The decision represents the fifth major offshore wind project restored by the courts since December.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized offshore turbines, saying his goal is to prevent any new installations and referring to wind energy as undesirable. Days before Christmas, his administration paused five large East Coast projects, citing unspecified national security concerns. Developers and several states quickly challenged the order in court.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers has consistently defended the freeze, stating that Trump has been clear that “wind energy is the scam of the century” and that the pause was intended to protect Americans.
Danish energy company Orsted sued the administration over the stoppage of both Sunrise Wind and the Revolution Wind project serving Rhode Island and Connecticut. During Monday’s preliminary injunction hearing, Lamberth referenced reasoning similar to his January ruling that allowed Revolution Wind to proceed.
Sunrise Wind representatives said they would restart work as soon as possible. Officials from New York state and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management did not immediately comment.
New York Attorney General Letitia James also filed suit against the federal government, arguing that halting Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind threatened the state’s economy and power grid. Other judges in January had already cleared construction for Empire Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, and Vineyard Wind, reflecting a growing judicial consensus.
Hillary Bright, executive director of the advocacy group Turn Forward, pointed to the string of legal victories and urged the administration to abandon its opposition.
“At a time when electricity demand is rising rapidly and grid reliability is under increasing strain, these projects represent critically needed utility-scale power sources that are making progress toward completion,” Bright said.
She estimated the combined developments would generate 6 gigawatts of power, enough to supply electricity to 2.5 million homes and businesses.
Sunrise Wind is currently about 45% finished and is projected to be operational in 2027. Court documents from Sunrise Wind LLC indicated that the work stoppage was costing at least $1.25 million per day, warning that the figure would rise in February and that cancellation was possible if delays stretched beyond the first week.
Federal attorneys argued that new classified intelligence from defense officials justified the pause, insisting national security concerns outweighed financial harm to developers. The court, however, found the evidence insufficient to justify such sweeping action.
Trump has often dismissed offshore turbines as eyesores, yet Orsted maintains the Sunrise Wind site is located more than 30 miles east of Long Island’s Montauk Point and would be “virtually unnoticeable from Long Island.” The project is expected to generate 924 megawatts of clean energy.
The ruling adds to mounting pressure on the administration as states pursue aggressive renewable energy goals and electricity demand climbs due to data centers and electrification.
Originally reported by JENNIFER MCDERMOTT Associated Press and ALEXA ST. JOHN Associated Press in ABC News.
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