A federal judge in Oregon on Thursday granted renewable energy groups’ motion to temporarily force the Pentagon to complete its reviews for stalled onshore wind projects.
The ruling lands in a case brought by the clean energy industry, which argued the Defense Department has stalled development of wind projects across the United States for the past year by failing to complete standard national security reviews. The department must evaluate whether proposed energy construction projects would adversely impact military operations and readiness.
“[T]o prevent the creation of a ‘judicially created patchwork,’ … a nationwide stay of [the Defense Department’s] review freeze is the proper preliminary remedy,” U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut wrote in an order Thursday.
Renewable energy trade groups and environmental nonprofits filed the challenge seeking to lift the Defense Department’s freeze earlier this year, alleging that it was unlawful and in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.
