The Trump administration has officially asked a federal judge to overturn permits on an offshore wind farm proposed by US Wind off Ocean City, Maryland, which will intensify a political and legal struggle over the development of renewable energy sources as the firm promises a counteractive fight over its 2-gigawatt project in court.
Federal court submission requests authorization of annulment
CBS Baltimore reports that the Trump administration has requested a federal judge to revoke a permit on a proposed offshore wind farm off Ocean City, which has caused a political and legal battle concerning offshore energy. The administration also filed a motion formally asking for the permit of the U.S Wind project to be vacated in a new court filing. The administration had already indicated its plans in August to file a motion to revoke the permit.
The action comes after an executive order of Jan. 20 by President Trump, which asked the agencies to revisit federally authorized wind projects and to cease issuing new ones. It was announced on the Windpower Monthly site that the Justice Department applied on Friday (12 September) to voluntarily remand its approval of the construction and operations plan (COP) of the Maryland project by US Wind. The COP is a compulsory element of the US offshore wind project permitting, detailing the intended construction works concerning a wind farm, the procedure, and the assessment of the environmental impact.
The company develops a legal defense plan
The Maryland-based firm, U.S Wind, which is at the head of the project, filed a counterclaim in the courthouse last week. The company also claimed that federal officials were under political pressure from politicians, including the president, his appointee, Congress members, and those who are against offshore wind energy, to publicize offshore wind energy projects. The company estimates that the project will require 114 turbines, which can produce a maximum of two gigawatts of electricity, equivalent to supplying electricity to approximately 718,000 households.
According to Nancy Sopko, the vice president of external affairs of US Wind, the company is already determined to construct its 1,700MW offshore wind project, which is one of the largest new electricity projects to be examined in the region altogether. Finally, some federal agencies gave final permits to the project after many years of analysis. We will aggressively appeal those permits to the federal court and are sure that the court will allow them to carry on in good health and stay without any prejudice.
The project is struggling with several issues
In December 2024, the project was approved to start construction and was the 10th commercial-scale wind project approved in the United States. The funds that own US Wind are administered by investment firm Apollo Global Management and Italy-based renewable energy company Renexia. It had been permitted by the federal government to build in Maryland during the Biden administration. This approval may, however, be cancelled in case the judge approves the request of the government.
The wind power project has attracted criticism from Ocean City authorities and business organizations. In October 2024, the city chiefs and local companies sued the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, claiming that the turbines would be damaging the environment, tourism, and the fishing industry. The city of Ocean City has been concerned with the effects of the proposed project on the local watershed and warned of what it termed a wind tax that could be charged to taxpayers.
This legal dispute of the Maryland offshore wind project is a general clash between the energy policies of the Trump administration and the renewable energy development. The result of the court hearing will probably impact future offshore wind projects and will serve as an indicator of whether the administration will revert to the Biden-era clean energy efforts in the country.