[New York Times] Judge in Virginia Hands Trump 3rd Setback This Week on Wind Farms

Last month, the Department of the Interior ordered all wind farm projects across the country to be halted, citing national security concerns. All companies involved (including Dominion Energy) sued the federal government in court, arguing that the government did not provide adequate reasons for halting construction and that the halt was causing harm to the companies. On Friday, a federal district court judge ruled that Virginia’s offshore wind farm project can continue construction.

The White House has argued that wind energy is a scam for the American people, and that they are being compelled to subsidize projects for “the least reliable source of energy.” The Interior Department has also cited concerns about the large spinning blades interfering with military radar systems. However, lawyers for Dominion Energy have stated that the utility company has consulted with the Pentagon regarding radar interference and other national security issues and has made the necessary upgrades to mitigate such problems.

Dominion Energy has already spent $8.9 billion on the project and has stated that the government’s stop-work order has been costing them $5 million per day. The Virginia Coastal Offshore Wind project would be the largest wind farm in the nation, producing 2.6 gigawatts of power – enough to power 660,000 homes. The Trump administration can appeal the federal district court’s decision but has yet to indicate its decision. Read more here.