Trump still seeks to block wind project

Interior asks court to let it reassess wind approval

The Trump administration is asking a federal court to reassess a prior approval of a nearly-completed offshore wind farm, an escalation of the administration’s attack on wind energy that’s raising questions about an infrastructure deal with Democrats .

On Friday, the Trump administration asked Judge Roy Lamberth to allow it to reassess whether its past approval of the Revolution Wind Project was warranted.

It cited the project’s “potential moderate to major adverse impacts to other uses” of the area off the nation’s coast.

The move is one of a series of attacks the administration has instituted on renewable power and especially wind energy, a particular subject of President Trump’s scorn.

However, this latest action comes as the administration is working on a deal with Democrats that seeks to expedite the buildout of energy and infrastructure projects across the board.

Last month, Senate Democrats and Republicans said they had reached a deal on legislation that seeks to speed the buildout of various types of energy including renewables and fossil fuels by curtailing environmental laws and other provisions.

As the package was being negotiated, the Trump administration’s treatment of renewables was a key point of contention.

When the deal was announced, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said that one outstanding issue was “the question of returning to regular order for wind and solar projects in the Trump administration.”

It’s unclear whether the latest maneuver will impact efforts to get the legislation across the finish line.

White House official Jarrod Agen said in a post on the social platform X that the administration still supports the bipartisan deal.

“This is an old lawsuit brought by the local community—who had serious concerns about this project—against the Biden Administration!” wrote Agen, the executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council.

“The White House maintains support for PERMITTING REFORM! We look forward to the Senate voting on this historic legislation,” he added.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

The nation’s energy regulators have shot down a bid from a regional grid operator to cut power to some large data centers during a supply shortfall — leaving the issue largely in the hands of states.

The Trump administration will use wartime authority to augment fuel production at a refinery in Texas, Vice President JD Vance announced on Tuesday. The move comes as high energy prices are putting a strain on the economy and are becoming a political liability ahead of the midterms.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) lowered its forecast of global oil demand growth for this year, amid persistent risks to shipping from Iran and its proxy groups.

A federal judge rebuked the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for “outrageous” conduct in targeting the former chief financial officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after accusing her of wrongly dispersing a grant related to migrant housing.

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics :

AI’s Water Strain Includes Surging Demand From Electricity Use ( Bloomberg )

A liberal and conservative Supreme Court justice joined forces on Tuesday to condemn what they said were “serious constitutional problems” in the government’s prosecution of a Mexican national for illegally reentering the country. Read more

President Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia raised eyebrows on Tuesday when she was asked where she passed the bar exam, telling reporters that she did so when she moved to China. Read more