Democratic senator warns Trump offshore wind court fight could derail permitting deal

A Democratic senator involved in a bipartisan permitting deal has warned that a Trump administration court fight over offshore wind projects could jeopardize the agreement, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Justice Department has requested federal judges to send Biden-era approvals for three East Coast offshore wind farms back to the Interior Department for reconsideration, as reported by Utility Dive and cited by the Daily Caller.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, a cosponsor of the Senate permitting bill, stated that this legal action risks undermining the permitting deal, according to The Associated Press.

An Interior Department spokesperson clarified to the Daily Caller that the department is following a court briefing schedule and that there has been no policy change regarding offshore wind.

An administration official told the Daily Caller that the lawsuits in question were brought by neighborhood groups against wind companies and the government, dating back to the Biden administration, and that the government is responding according to court timelines.

The official also noted that key senators, including Whitehouse and Martin Heinrich, have been kept informed about the filings.

The Justice Department declined further comment beyond its court filings, and several stakeholders including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and wind companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.