On Friday, August 22, 2025, the Trump administration announced the cancellation of the Revolution Wind project located off the south coast of Rhode Island, east of Block Island. At the time of the stop work order, the project, based out of the State Pier in New London, Connecticut, was approximately 80% complete with foundations in
Trump administration
“Once In, Always In” for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Back to the Grave
By Brian Freeman & Chris Eddy on
After a few decades of uncertainty and “it’s-alive-it’s-dead-it’s-alive” swings, EPA’s “once in, always in” (OI/AI) policy is once again dead. And this time, it seems very dead.
On June 20, 2025, President Trump signed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that rejects a September 2024 rule adopted by the Biden EPA that had revived a…
Project Opponents of Empire Wind Strike Back
As recently reported, on May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior reversed the stop work order it issued on April 16, 2025, thereby allowing the $5 billion, 2 GW, Empire Wind project to proceed. On June 3, 2025, a coalition of Empire Wind opponents sued the Trump administration in federal court in…
Four New Executive Orders Aim to Unleash U.S. Nuclear Energy
By Kathryn Hinton on
On May 23, 2025, President Trump signed four new executive orders (the Orders) to “usher in a nuclear energy renaissance.” In an article, the White House explained that the Orders provide “a path forward for nuclear innovation” as they “allow for reactor design testing at [Department of Energy (DOE)] labs, clear the way for…
Amidst Offshore Wind Moratorium, Empire Wind Back on Track
By Peter Knight on
On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior reversed its April 16 stop work order and allowed the $5 billion, 2 GW, Empire Wind project 12 miles south of Long Island to proceed. The move follows an intensive lobbying effort by the project’s developer, Equinor ASA, who coordinated with federal, state, and city…
Coalition of States Dispute Trump Administration’s “National Energy Emergency” Claim
On the heels of an action by states challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to block federal permits for offshore wind development a lawsuit filed by 15 states on May 9, 2025, claims that the administration misapplied the National Emergencies Act in declaring a national energy emergency. The emergency declaration, announced in a January 20, 2025…
States Sue Trump Administration Over Blocked Wind Developments
On Monday, May 4, 2025, a coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia filed suit in Massachusetts District Court over the Trump administration’s efforts to block federal permits for all offshore wind development. The administration’s policy was announced in a January 20, 2025 executive order placing federal permitting of wind projects on hold…
Cuts, Closures, and Confusion: A Quick Update on U.S. EPA
By Jon Schaefer on
It has been 50 days since the Trump administration took office, and there remains a tsunami of activity surrounding executive actions and announcements across the federal government. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not been spared from deep cuts, office and grant program closures, and a fair amount of confusion.
On March 11, 2025, EPA…
New EPA Administrator, Same Freeze on EPA Activity
By Jon Schaefer on
On January 29, 2025, Lee Zeldin was confirmed as the 17th Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator. After a week on the job, Zeldin continued to maintain several policies that had been put in place immediately after the Trump administration took office. Some of these policies are summarized below. While these actions are generally expected when…
New Wave of Executive Orders Seek to Redirect EPA’s Focus
By Jon Schaefer on
Posted in Environmental, Social, and Governance
Within hours of taking office, President Trump issued a flurry of Executive Orders (EO), including several that will undoubtedly affect a wide range of environmental policies nationwide. While the full implications of these EOs, as well as potential additional actions, are far from clear at this early stage, there are several takeaways for those who…