Reporting on the judgment date, December 9, 2025, with coverage by Law.com’s Alyssa Aquino.

Empire Wind continues toward a roughly two-year construction schedule with full operation planned by end of 2027, though the ruling affects broader permitting practices rather than this project alone.

The ruling is positioned within Maine’s broader energy strategy and regulatory landscape, without predicting outcomes beyond the court decision.

The decision could spur further lawsuits or appeals, but reinforces that a president’s directive alone cannot justify major permitting suspensions without a solid, reasoned record.

Judge Saris noted that the policy marked a break from decades of agency practice and that the administration failed to provide adequate justification for the shift.

A status conference is set for the following week to map next steps as parties await further guidance from Judge Saris.

The decision emphasizes that agencies cannot suspend permitting solely on a presidential directive and must provide a reasoned, transparent record as part of due process.

New York Attorney General Letitia James framed wind energy as beneficial to the environment, economy, and communities, and criticized the actions as reckless against clean energy efforts.

Even with the ruling, agencies may still deny permits or require lengthy reviews, meaning the industry could face limited immediate relief beyond a reassessment of procedures.

The court rejected narrowing relief to specific projects, ordering agencies to resume processing permits within a reasonable period and to conduct a comprehensive assessment.

A federal judge ruled against the administration’s moratorium on wind energy permitting, siding with more than a dozen states and a clean energy group that argued the pause was unlawful and lacked a solid, documented rationale.

Industry observers warn of ongoing legal and logistical uncertainty and stress the need to translate the ruling into concrete permit approvals and project progress.