For Immediate Release: January 16, 2025
Media Contact: [email protected]
BALTIMORE – Moments ago, a U.S. judge for the Eastern District of Virginia has allowed the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project to resume work after granting their injunction request against the administration’s lease suspension and construction pause issued December 22, 2025. Judge Walker granted the injunction because the order was too broad to address the specific project and noted that the risks cited by the government pertained to wind farm operations, not construction. The Administration referenced undisclosed “national security concerns” that arose from a recent classified Department of War study alleging that turbine structures cause interference with military radar systems.
CVOW-Commercial, the largest commercial offshore wind farm in the U.S., is currently 67% complete and set to provide 2,587 MW of power generation to Virginia. The project’s supply chain stretches across more than 27 states and has driven more than $2 billion in domestic supply chain investments. More than 30 vessels, including newbuilds and retrofits from more than a dozen shipyards in Louisiana, Florida, Texas, New York, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are supporting the project, including the delivery of the first U.S.-built Wind Turbine Installation Vessel assembled in Brownsville, Texas. The Portsmouth Marine Terminal in Norfolk, Virginia underwent a $250 million conversion to become one of the largest offshore wind ports in that nation. Additionally, CVOW has created more than 2,000 direct and indirect American jobs to date.
In response, Oceantic Network has released the following statement from CEO Liz Burdock:
“The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is critical to securing not only Virginia’s electric grid, but the regional grid serving 67 million residents that depend on the continued, reliable delivery of electricity. Offshore wind stabilizes rising energy costs for local communities, creating jobs and strengthening our energy independence, underscoring the importance of building America’s energy infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand. The U.S. offshore wind industry has always worked closely with the federal government to ensure national security interests were prioritized in the siting and permitting of every project in federal waters. Oceantic applauds this result to get the project moving again to deliver reliable, affordable power and good-paying jobs to communities across the region that desperately need it.”
There are significant economic consequences associated with pausing the construction of the five U.S. projects during installation:
- Once operational, the five projects are expected to bring 8 GW of much-needed power generation online, enough for 2.5 million homes, and to help the states keep rising power costs in check.
- Stopping these projects means $30 billion of fully permitted economic activity has been paused and threatens more than $11 billion in supply chain assets that have spun up to support construction.
- Stopping these projects threatens at least 12,000 American jobs directly supporting their buildout.
- Construction of these projects has sparked more than 1,000 supply chain contracts to 675 unique American businesses across 41 states, spanning domestic shipyards, upgraded ports, and a massive resurgence in American steel. More than 24% are coming from Gulf suppliers.
- Building and maintaining these projects has initiated at least 40 new vessel orders or specialized retrofits, totaling nearly $2 billion in activity at American steel mills and shipyards.
This latest ruling follows recent industry court victories against the administration’s attempts to slow down offshore wind. This week, Empire Wind and Revolution Wind were allowed to resume work after injunction requests were granted against the administration’s lease suspension and stop construction order issued December 22, 2025. In December, a federal judge vacated the Administration’s previous permitting pause, ruling it unlawful. Sunrise Wind (924 MW) and Vineyard Wind 1 (800 MW) are still subject to the construction pause and lease suspension. Both have filed complaints to challenge the Order and await court hearings.
Additional Information:
For more information or to arrange an interview with an Oceantic spokesperson, contact us at [email protected].
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At Oceantic Network, we envision a thriving offshore energy industry powering strong economies. Offshore wind energy is the gateway to a host of other ocean renewables, including green hydrogen, wave energy, offshore solar, and more. Our collaborative member network advances the offshore renewable energy market and builds a robust supply chain of local companies. For more than a decade, Oceantic has grown alongside industry, setting the pace for an expanded view of what offshore renewable energy can deliver towards our nation’s energy mix. For more information about Oceantic membership, products and services, visit our websiteor follow us on LinkedIn.
