Attorney General Raúl Torrez, along with a coalition of 18 attorneys general, has successfully challenged the Trump Administration's decision to freeze federal wind energy permitting. The lawsuit claimed that the order would negatively impact states' efforts to secure diverse and affordable energy sources and hinder significant investments in wind industry infrastructure.
Raúl Torrez expressed satisfaction with the court's decision, stating, "I’m pleased the court reaffirmed the importance of protecting the wind and solar energy that New Mexico produces in abundance—power that supports our economy and creates critical jobs across the state." He added that halting progress nationwide would have been financially detrimental.
The coalition filed their lawsuit in May against the Trump Administration's indefinite halt on federal approvals for offshore and onshore wind projects. A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled this week that these actions were arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful. The attorneys general argued that these actions violated several federal laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act, as they lacked a reasoned explanation for stopping all wind energy approvals.
The lawsuit also contended that this halt threatened billions of dollars in state investments related to wind industry infrastructure and workforce development. Joining Attorney General Torrez were attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
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