Judge allows Massachusetts offshore wind project to continue

A federal judge in Boston blocked the administration's stop-work order, allowing the nearly completed Vineyard Wind project to continue; the project is about 95% finished and is partially operational.

A federal judge in Boston halted the administration's stop-work order and allowed the Vineyard Wind project to continue. The project is a joint venture located about 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Vineyard Wind is nearly complete and was paused along with four other East Coast projects after a federal security review. Developers and several states had sued to block the administration's order. Key points: - U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued the order citing potential economic losses and the developers' likelihood of success on their claims. - Vineyard Wind is reported as about 95% complete and partially operational, producing nearly 600 megawatts; it had been planned to reach 62 turbines and 800 megawatts by the end of March. - The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management acting director Matthew Giacona said he reviewed classified materials that raised national security concerns related to proximity to early warning monitoring and radar systems. - BOEM allowed partial operation during the suspension while consulting with defense officials and the project owners, but said it was not aware of mitigation measures that would address the cited risks. - Federal judges have allowed three other paused projects to resume (Revolution Wind, Empire Wind, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind), and Orsted is pursuing litigation over the paused Sunrise Wind project. - The report notes a prior blade failure that led GE Vernova to agree to a $10.5 million settlement with island businesses affected by debris. Summary: The ruling lets construction and partial operations at Vineyard Wind proceed, reducing immediate disruption tied to the federal pause. Further agency consultations and ongoing litigation related to national security concerns and other paused projects are continuing, and the precise next legal and administrative steps are undetermined at this time.