A US judge has temporarily blocked federal actions delaying wind and solar projects, pending final court review
The ruling questions the legal basis of stricter permitting and review measures imposed by agencies for renewable energy projects
Plaintiffs claim over 57 GW of wind, solar, hybrid, and offshore wind capacity has either been cancelled or is at risk of delay or cancellation beyond 2029 due to federal actions
Chief US District Judge Denise Casper has issued a preliminary injunction halting the US Department of the Interior (DOI) and other agencies from further delaying the deployment of wind and solar energy projects in the country.
In the order issued, Judge Casper questions the justification for the review of wind and solar energy projects. Nominated by Barack Obama in April 2010, Casper was hearing the case filed against the DOI by 9 clean energy organizations that were seeking a preliminary injunction against US government agencies enforcing 5 administrative actions.
The plaintiff organizations comprise RENEW Northeast, the Green Energy Consumers Alliance (GECA), MidAtlantic Renewable Energy Coalition Action (MAREC Action), Alliance for Clean Energy – New York (ACE NY), Renewable Northwest, Southern Renewable Energy Association (SREA), Interwest Energy Alliance (Interwest), Clean Grid Alliance (CGA), and the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association (CCEBA).
Defendants in this case are the DOI, DOI Secretary Douglas Burgum, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), BLM Director Steve Pearce, and other government agencies and their heads.
The plaintiffs called the agency actions as harming the public by ‘delaying and preventing the development of wind and solar energy projects’ in the US, including on the federal land managed by the BLM (see US BLM Axes 6.2 GW Proposed Solar & Storage Project).
They claim approximately 57.2 GW of wind, solar, hybrid, and offshore wind capacity has either been cancelled or is at risk of delay or cancellation beyond 2029 due to the federal government’s actions. It represents roughly $905 million in ‘sunk capital’ invested in projects, as per Charles River Associates.
The DOI’s actions threaten the maintenance of a reliable, affordable, and resilient grid in the interest of the public, which is currently struggling to meet record energy demand, claim the plaintiffs.
Casper agreed with the plaintiffs, terming the Trump administration’s attempts to block renewable energy facilities via various orders as ‘arbitrary and capricious’ and violating federal law. She found that failing to secure a preliminary injunction may cause ‘irreparable harm’.
A preliminary injunction is a temporary court order issued early in a case to pause certain actions until a final ruling is made. It is intended to preserve the status quo and prevent irreparable harm during the litigation process.
Notably, the DOI issued a memo dated July 15, 2025, mandating all wind and solar projects to undergo heightened federal review following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that attempts to weaken the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Back then, 2,000 GW of clean energy projects were in the queue for grid connection (see Elevated US Federal Scrutiny For Wind & Solar Energy Projects).
In November 2025, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reported that more than 116 GW of solar and storage projects in the US were facing uncertainty due to heightened federal scrutiny and permitting delays(see SEIA: Political Attacks Threaten Nearly 116 GW Solar & Storage Capacity).
In a joint statement, covered by the local media, the plaintiffs said, “Our coalition has demanded and received an immediate halt to the Trump administration’s unlawful permitting actions, which have discriminatorily placed wind and solar technologies into second-class status.” They added, “We look forward to getting back to work and restarting the impacted wind and solar projects nationwide.”
“Today the courts rightly blocked illegal regulatory attacks that drive up energy costs and slow down the development of new sources of electricity we urgently need. Wind and solar remain the cheapest and fastest-to-deploy energy sources we can build. The law doesn’t allow agencies to rig the process against them,” commented E2 Federal Advocacy Director Sandra Purohit.
SEIA has welcomed the court’s ruling, calling it a win for affordable energy in America. The association’s Interim President and CEO Darren Van’t Hof said, “This is a constructive step forward toward letting America’s solar and storage industry build and deliver more American energy to households and businesses nationwide.”