Trump administration moves to reopen approval of New England Wind off Massachusetts

The Trump administration has asked a federal judge to let the Interior Department reconsider its own 2024 approval of New England Wind, a proposed wind farm off the Massachusetts coast, according to The Associated Press.

In a filing Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Justice Department argued the permit should go back to Interior because the project was approved despite major adverse impacts. The case was brought by ACK for Whales, a group of Nantucket residents who argue the government failed to follow numerous laws.

The project

Avangrid declined to comment, the AP reported. Interior said the filing met a court briefing schedule and did not announce a policy change, according to The Boston Globe.

A pattern along the coast

The administration is also seeking to revisit approvals for Revolution Wind off Rhode Island and Connecticut, which has finished construction, and the Maryland Offshore Wind Project near Ocean City, The Maritime Executive reported. A judge previously allowed the government to reconsider the permit for SouthCoast Wind, another Massachusetts project.

Permitting deal at risk

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., warned the move could derail a bipartisan Senate permitting bill reached in September that has yet to get a vote. "This is how you blow up a permitting deal," he said, according to the AP.

The National Ocean Industries Association said reopening federal approvals creates uncertainty, while the Natural Resources Defense Council tied the administration's actions to rising utility bills.