NEW YORK, New York — New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration, challenging the federal government’s decision to halt construction on two major offshore wind projects expected to supply electricity to more than 1 million homes across the state.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, targets a Dec. 22 order from the U.S. Department of the Interior that suspended work on the Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind projects off Long Island. Federal officials cited national security concerns, arguing that turbine blades could interfere with radar systems by creating visual “clutter” that obscures or mimics legitimate targets.
James called the suspension arbitrary and unjustified, noting that both projects had already undergone more than a decade of federal, state, and local environmental, safety, and security reviews. She argued that stopping construction at this stage threatens New York’s energy reliability, economic development, and climate goals.
Empire Wind, located about 14 miles southeast of Long Island, is projected to power more than 500,000 homes and is approximately 60 percent complete, according to developer Equinor. Sunrise Wind, roughly 30 miles east of Montauk, is expected to power about 600,000 homes and is around 45 percent complete, according to developer Ørsted.
The Interior Department’s order also halted three additional offshore wind projects along the East Coast. Both developers, as well as the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island, have filed their own legal challenges.
James previously joined a coalition of attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., that successfully challenged an earlier Trump administration order pausing wind energy approvals nationwide.
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