SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — The Trump administration has dropped its appeal of a federal court ruling that struck down the government’s blanket ban on offshore wind development, a win for New Jersey and other states in the Northeast.
Last year, a lower court found the Trump administration’s ban on offshore wind arbitrary and capricious. The administration initially appealed the ruling but recently filed a request to drop it, which was granted by federal judges on Monday.
In a statement, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said, “Our victory in court stands. This is a win for everyone who wants cleaner energy at a lower cost.”
However, offshore wind opponents don’t see this as a loss for the feds. Robin Shaffer with Protect Our Coast doesn’t expect to see this work resume, as long as President Donald Trump is in office.
“The headwinds the industry is facing are significant right now,” he said. “Individual projects still need to get permits, which can and are being held up by the federal government and different agencies within the federal government.”
Shaffer said the feds can deny permits for several reasons, including national security, environmental and financial issues.
“The administration has other tricks up its sleeve to stop the industry,” said Shaffer. “There are environmental reviews. The Department of the Interior is involved. There are myriad ways that these projects can be held up or stopped.”
