On Tuesday, the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction blocking several government restrictions on renewable power development. This ruling builds upon a previous decision that expanded the scope to include broader federal restrictions and a wider range of renewable energy developers.

The decision is significant for non-polluting energy initiatives but leaves one policy untouched, highlighting the ongoing battle against renewable energy detractors within the government.

In December, another judge ruled that the federal government’s withdrawal of continental shelf areas from offshore wind development violated the Administrative Procedures Act, citing arbitrary and capricious rules. The rationale was based on a single Trump executive order.

This new case involves trade groups representing both wind and solar developers and challenges more diverse regulations, including those from the Department of the Interior, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These rules introduce multiple hurdles, such as additional layers of review, unusual evaluation standards, and restrictions on accessing government resources.