The Trump administration is targeting another offshore wind project, the latest in a string of wind farms whose approvals it plans to cancel.
In a Wednesday court filing the administration indicated it plans to vacate and reconsider the approval of the New England Wind 1 and 2 projects.
The filing does not give a reason why it is doing so, but it comes after the administration similarly targeted projects off the coasts of Rhode Island and Maryland.
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The New England Wind projects would have been located about 20 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. Together, they were expected to provide enough power for more than 900,000 homes each year.
The move comes as the Trump administration has been hostile to renewable energy projects, especially offshore wind, having moved in recent weeks to cancel projects that already have approval.
The Hill has reached out to the Interior Department for comment. Avangrid, the company behind the projects, declined to comment.
The move does not necessarily mean the project will be axed. Earlier this year, the administration reviewed a project off the coast of New York, but ultimately allowed it to move forward.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller are leading an effort under which federal agencies were directed to create plans to block offshore wind projects.
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Asked about this, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly pointed The Hill to an executive order that directs agencies to review leasing and approval processes for offshore wind projects.
“Agencies are implementing that Executive Order by evaluating whether they have any policies in place that would advantage wind developers over more effective and reliable types of energy, such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear,” Kelly said.
