A federal judge has vacated President Donald Trump’s executive memorandum, lifting the pause on federal permitting for wind energy projects in a ruling on a lawsuit brought by over a dozen state attorneys general and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.
Several state-based climate jobs coalitions filed an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit. The brief described workers’ and labor unions’ extensive investments of their time and resources to train for the offshore wind energy sector, which promises to be a large and growing source of domestic jobs.
This legal decision is a major victory in efforts to deliver clean power to communities across America.
“As energy demand rises and utility bills are burdening working families, we need reliable, domestic energy sources that keep the lights on and provide family-sustaining jobs for our communities,” said Climate Jobs Massachusetts in a statement. “Offshore wind projects have created thousands of jobs in Massachusetts alone, and our union members have invested millions of dollars to train workers in specialized skills for building them. With several more projects ready to go, the wind industry will bring thousands more family-sustaining jobs to Massachusetts, as long as the federal government issues the necessary permits. This ruling is an important step towards green-lighting the clean energy projects our region desperately needs. We thank Attorney General Campbell for her leadership in standing up for workers and the clean energy projects that will benefit our communities in countless ways.”
“President Trump’s unpopular and illegal wind ban undercut the ability of Maine and New England to become energy independent and stabilize electricity prices for working families. It left nearly completed wind projects abandoned offshore in other parts of New England, stalled critical port development in Maine, laid off thousands of workers, and kept a large amount of clean power off of the grid that could have brought hundreds of millions of dollars of savings to households across the region. Union members in Maine invested in specialized training to prepare for offshore wind – training made possible by hundreds of thousands of dollars in union-backed workforce development. These workers are ready to build the next generation of clean, reliable power. Political interference took those job opportunities away,” said the Maine Labor Climate Council. “We thank Attorney General Aaron Frey and the coalition of attorneys general for their leadership in holding the federal government accountable and defending a clean energy future that benefits working people.”
Climate Jobs Rhode Island stated, “This decision protects good union jobs, years of workforce training, and the future of a clean-energy industry that Rhode Island workers have helped build from the ground up. Climate Jobs Rhode Island joined our regional labor partners in filing an amicus brief to show exactly what was at stake: the livelihoods of skilled workers who trained, worked, and sacrificed to make offshore wind real in our state. Today’s ruling means those workers can keep doing what they do best, building America’s energy future with union skill, safety, and pride. Thank you to AG Peter Neronha for standing with workers and defending our state’s future. We are ready to keep building.”
In Rhode Island, the federal government is also waging separate challenges to Revolution Wind, a 704-MW offshore wind project set to power 350,000 New England homes and support over 1,000 jobs. The federal government issued a stop work order on the project in August 2025, and while a subsequent federal court ruling allowed construction to resume, workers remain uneasy about the future of their jobs. Climate Jobs Rhode Island and the Rhode Island AFL-CIO recently released a video featuring workers on the project.
Climate Jobs New York also jointly announced with environmental groups the delivery of more than 14,000 petition signatures from New Yorkers urging continued advancement of wind project permitting and offshore wind development. The signatures, collected through collaborative organizing efforts, signal that New Yorkers clearly understand the value of offshore wind for jobs, energy costs, and the environment.
“New York’s offshore wind industry is creating thousands of family-sustaining union jobs, strengthening local economies, and building a more resilient energy system,” said Esther Rosario, Executive Director of Climate Jobs NY. “This ruling brings much-needed stability to the permitting process and to the lives of the workers across our state who depend on these projects. The public’s strong support shows how urgent it is to continue to move forward.”
“This decision is a victory for Ironworkers in Maryland and our brothers and sisters from across the labor movement. For years, we in labor have known that offshore wind is a critical piece of our energy future, and accordingly, we have invested heavily in training our members to work in this industry,” said Kendall Martin, President of the Ironworkers District Council of the Mid-Atlantic States. “This week’s legal victory is an important step toward ensuring that training will continue to be put to use. Offshore wind creates good union jobs, provides reliable energy, and makes our environment healthier and our air cleaner. As energy demand is skyrocketing and costs are burdening families, we need to bring as much domestic, affordable power online as possible. Offshore wind is ready to provide that power. Let’s get back to work building it.”
News item from Climate Jobs National Resource Center
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