June 11, 2026
SACRAMENTO – On June 10, the Trump administration voluntarily dismissed its own appeal in a key offshore wind lawsuit, effectively closing the case and admitting defeat. The administration has tried time and again to illegally kneecap this clean and reliable energy source, but their attacks fail in court every time.
“This win sends a clear message that we will keep moving forward and fighting to ensure that communities in California have clean and affordable energy,” said Eddie Ahn with Brightline Defense, who led an amicus brief in this case with the city of San Francisco.
The lawsuit successfully challenged the Trump administration’s day-one executive orders attacking offshore wind and imposing a ban on all leasing. The White House order has underpinned more than a year of concerted efforts to revoke permits and halt construction of projects. Led by New York, a coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia secured a complete and total victory at the end of last year when a federal court judge ruled that the federal actions were ‘illegal’ and ‘arbitrary and capricious.’
“Obstructing clean energy projects is not energy dominance, it makes us weaker and more reliant on unpredictable fossil fuel markets,” said Michael Colvin, California Energy Program Director at Environmental Defense Fund. “As families face soaring bills driven by fossil fuel price spikes, we need to bring more reliable clean energy like offshore wind onto the grid.”
Offshore wind provides a large-scale energy resource to power our communities at a time when energy reliability and affordability are top of mind.
“Communities up and down the coast remain positive about the buildout of offshore wind. They know it’s clean energy that will help mitigate the extreme weather that continues to wreak havoc and destruction in California. They know good paying jobs will spur their local economies. They see it as a generational opportunity that will revive businesses and create new ones. We need the energy security it will provide as oil and gas is a volatile, polluting, antiquated source of energy,” said Benjamin Collings, Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) Offshore Wind Director, Former Maine State Representative. “We at Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) stand with our elected officials and their communities as the potential for this industry will catapult the state to achieve 100 percent clean energy. Over 250 elected officials from all across the state have signed a letter in support for California offshore wind.”
Studies have found that renewable energy resources like offshore wind put downward pressure on overall electricity and gas prices. Forward-looking solutions like offshore wind will be key to delivering clean energy across California and beyond.
