President Donald Trump's ban on issuing new wind energy permits has been ruled "unlawful" by a US court.
In January the president signed an executive order freezing federal approval of offshore and onshore wind projects, halting construction of several projects in the US that were already under way.
Some 17 states and a New York-based clean energy group sued the government, sparked by a stop work order imposed on the Empire Wind 1 project, a vast wind farm planned off the coast of New York aimed at powering 500,000 homes.
On Monday, Massachusetts district court judge Patti B Saris vacated Trump's order, saying it was "arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law".
In her judgement, Judge Saris said federal agencies had failed to "provide a reasoned explanation for the change" and justification for the new policy.
