Energy & Environment

Court temporarily curtails Trump’s anti-renewable move

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by Rachel Frazin - 04/21/26 3:49 PM ET

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by Rachel Frazin - 04/21/26 3:49 PM ET

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A federal judge on Tuesday curtailed enforcement of several Trump administration policies that would have otherwise been expected to hamper renewable energy.

Judge Denise Casper, an Obama appointee in Massachusetts, granted a preliminary injunction preventing the federal government from applying its anti-renewable policies for members of regional trade groups who challenged them.

Casper determined that plaintiffs — mostly regional trade groups that represent renewable developers around the country — were likely to succeed in their case, which is still ongoing.

The federal government now cannot apply the policies to the trade group members while the litigation plays out.

The policies in question include requirements for solar and wind project procedures to undergo an elevated review by the Interior Secretary’s office — which is expected to create significant delays for renewable projects.

Also included is a policy that seeks to block projects that take up a lot of physical room on federal lands, which is expected to mostly affect renewables.

Tuesday’s injunction comes after other legal setbacks in the Trump administration’s effort to hold up renewable energy projects after construction of offshore wind farms it has blocked was also allowed to move forward.

A spokesperson for the Interior Department said it does not comment on litigation, but added via email that “America sets the global standard for energy production.”

The plaintiff organizations celebrated the injunction as a win for renewable energy in a joint statement.

“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,” the statement said. “Today’s ruling is the first of many steps to bring more affordable energy options to people across the country. Clean energy is fast, affordable, and here to stay.”

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