WASHINGTON (7News) — Attorneys general from Maryland, D.C., and 16 other states have filed a lawsuit challenging an executive order from President Donald Trump to stop developing wind energy.

The order at the center of the lawsuit, signed on Trump’s first day in office, paused any future plans related to offshore and onshore wind energy projects, an order that the attorneys general argued could harm those industries and states’ search for energy resources, according to the lawsuit.

Attorneys have asked a federal judge to declare the order unlawful and stop agencies from implementing it. The White House, according to the Associated Press, claimed the Democratic attorneys are trying to stop his energy agenda instead of working with Trump.

“The Trump Administration’s outrageous and unlawful freeze on wind energy development is nothing short of a direct assault on Maryland’s future climate security and economic prosperity. Wind power provides hardworking Marylanders with well-paying jobs, strengthens our power grid, and helps us fight the increasingly devastating impacts of climate change,” said Attorney General Brown in a statement.

Maryland has frequently sought to increase its use of wind energy and other renewable energy resources, as the state tries to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, according to a statement. They’ve been met with challenges as leaders in Ocean City have fought with the state over placing wind turbines off the beach, a move they fear could impact the views.

The Trump administration has, in recent months, tried to reverse climate change efforts from the Biden administration and instead boost the output of oil, coal, and natural gas, which have been linked to climate change.

In April, the Department of the Interior ordered a halt to construction of the Empire Wind project off the coast of Long Island, New York, arguing that the Biden administration rushed the approval, according to court documents.

Maryland officials said they allocated $5 million in Fiscal Year 2025 alone, with the goal of its offshore wind program creating 13,000 jobs and providing $6 billion in economic benefits, according to a statement.

New York, and many of the other states involved have also invested millions of dollars in wind energy-related projects.