A federal judge this week gave renewable energy developers another win in their fight against the Trump administration’s policies that have stalled solar and wind projects.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from enforcing a handful of agency actions that renewable energy developers argued created a de facto blockade on their projects on public and private lands. The ruling follows a string of defeats in federal court for the Trump administration, including injunctions overturning stop-work orders for five offshore wind projects along the Atlantic coast, allowing construction to proceed.
The decision on Tuesday could help restart a pipeline of more than 57 gigawatts of new solar and wind (both on land and offshore) capacity that was at risk of delay or cancellation beyond 2029, according to a study by Charles River Associates that Judge Denise J. Casper cited in her ruling. Those projects reflect an estimated $905 million in capital already committed, as well as between $8.4 billion and $25.6 billion in projected federal tax credits.
The plaintiffs include Renew Northeast, the Interwest Energy Alliance, and the Southern Renewable Energy Association. They argued that memos issued by the Interior Department and the Army Corps of Engineers between May and September 2025 unlawfully discriminated against wind and solar technologies, which threatened the public interest in maintaining a “reliable, affordable, and resilient” grid.
In a statement, the plaintiffs said the ruling “is the first of many steps to bring more affordable energy options to people across the country. We look forward to getting back to work and restarting the impacted wind and solar projects nationwide.”
The Interior Department said it doesn’t comment on litigation. It’s unclear whether the administration will appeal.
‘Trapped in limbo’
Casper struck down five total memos, finding they likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs executive branch rulemaking, in part because the administration didn’t provide “satisfactory justifications.” These included a DOI memo on July 15 mandating a new three-tiered political review for all wind and solar permits, ending with a review and sign-off by Secretary Doug Burgum himself. Those reviews have historically been carried out by career employees.
The same month, the Fish and Wildlife Service blocked wind and solar developers from accessing a database that identifies sensitive habitats — information that’s often required to obtain federal permits.
An August 1 order also required the department to permit only energy projects with the highest “capacity density,” effectively disqualifying solar and wind in favor of gas, coal, or nuclear power. The Army Corps similarly issued a directive on September 18; the fifth placed barriers on offshore wind projects that interfere with all other uses of the ocean, like fishing.
The plaintiffs said these directives led to the indefinite pause of review processes for at least 20 major projects, such as the Atlantic Shores North Project, a proposed offshore wind project. To date, the developer EDF Renewables has spent $215 million in initial lease acquisition fees and more than $242,000 in rental payments in 2025 alone.
The American Glory Solar Project, a proposed solar facility on federal lands in Nevada, has also invested about $1 million in development of the project to date, the plaintiffs said.
If left in place, the Trump administration’s policies could have broader consequences for the renewable energy industry. The Solar Energy Industries Association, in a November analysis, found that 73 gigawatts of solar and 43 GW of battery storage had yet to receive all the federal, state, and local permits necessary for deployment and were at risk of being “trapped in limbo.”
Permitting reform headaches
The Trump administration’s attacks on solar and wind power have created headaches for congressional lawmakers negotiating permitting reform legislation. That effort is widely seen as key to accelerating the build-out of new generation and transmission infrastructure needed to serve artificial intelligence data centers and new manufacturing plants, which are top priorities of President Donald Trump.
In December, two key Senate Democrats cut off talks with Republicans after the Trump administration paused leases for offshore wind projects. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) reengaged in March, after Interior began considering some solar permits and the Trump administration didn’t appeal court rulings allowing offshore wind projects to proceed.
Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers supports legislation that would block any administration from canceling lawfully issued permits. That would benefit both renewable and oil-and-gas developers, the latter of which was targeted by former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Heinrich, in a statement to Latitude Media, said Tuesday’s court order made it clear that DOI is legally required to stop obstructing clean energy projects and start advancing permits.
“I expect to see several clean energy permit approvals over the next few weeks,” he said. “If the administration is serious about lowering costs, it should invest in affordable, Made-in-America energy solutions.”
