Oregon Court Orders Department of Defense to Resume Wind Reviews
A federal judge ordered the Department of Defense to lift a freeze on onshore wind project reviews that had stalled renewable energy development since April.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Department of Defense to lift a freeze on military reviews for onshore wind projects. Judge Karin Immergut ruled that the freeze, which had been in place since April, violated statutory and regulatory deadlines and created a de-facto moratorium on new onshore wind development nationwide.
The ruling follows a legal challenge by a coalition of renewable energy groups who alleged the Trump administration unlawfully delayed routine reviews. Judge Immergut found that the developers are likely to prevail on the merits of the case. As a result, the court ordered the Department of Defense to resume its reviews and provide status updates every 30 days while legal proceedings continue.
The Sierra Club supported the challenge via an amicus brief. Senior Attorney Joshua Berman characterized the decision as a victory for the rule of law and a successful effort to block administration attacks on clean energy. A separate lawsuit involving 18 state attorneys general regarding the same review freeze remains pending in the courts.
Keep reading in the app
The full story and every source, free in the app.
Coming soonGoogle Play