On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Jackson closed the case on Ralls Corp.'s legal actions against the U.S. government and President Barack Obama, dismissing the company's remaining claim. Ralls is owned by two executives at Chinese manufacturer Sany Group, and it says its focus is to invest in and operate U.S. wind farms using Sany wind turbines.
Last year, Ralls sued the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and Obama after the president blocked Ralls' acquisition and ownership of four wind projects. The wind farms were being developed near a U.S. navel facility in Oregon that has restricted airspace.
According to a Reuters report, Jackson ruled against a majority of Ralls' claims in February. On Wednesday, the judge dismissed the remaining claim – that Obama's order ignored due process afforded in the U.S. Constitution – ruling that Ralls ‘received sufficient process" and failed to file for government approval prior to the wind farm acquisitions.
Recently, Ralls acquired the development rights to the Pleasant Hill wind farm, a 20 MW project in Texas slated to come online in March 2014. At the time, a company spokesperson told NAW that Ralls had voluntarily filed that acquisition with the CFIUS.
