The Trump administration’s latest attempt to block offshore wind turbine construction is meeting with a pushback in the courts.

In December, the administration suspended the authority of five major offshore wind projects to build in federal waters. It did so by pausing leases granted to them by the federal government allowing for the use of the ocean, alleging national security concerns.

Now, projects that were blocked by the Trump administration are challenging that maneuver.

On Friday, Empire Wind sued the Trump administration, joining Revolution Wind, which sued Friday and Dominion Energy, which sued over its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project last month.

These projects were previously approved by the federal government and were under construction prior to the Trump administration’s intervention.

In its Friday filing, Empire Wind described the Trump administration’s reasoning as “hollow” and “pretextual.”

“Statements by the Secretary of Interior and the White House regarding [the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s] issuance of the Suspension Order suggest the true motivation for the Suspension Order relates to the Administration’s opposition to offshore wind energy,” it said in court.

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