For Immediate Release: January 27, 2025
Media Contact: [email protected]
BALTIMORE – Moments ago, a U.S. judge for Boston District Court has allowed Vineyard Wind to resume work after granting a stay against the administration’s lease suspension and construction pause issued December 22, 2025. Judge Murphy granted the stay, citing the order was “likely arbitrary and capricious”, noting that the issues raised by the government pertained to wind farm operations, not construction, and the continuation of the suspension would irreparably harm the project and its developer. 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.
Vineyard Wind is currently 95% complete and set to provide 800 MW of power generation to Massachusetts. The project’s supply chain stretches across 37 states and has driven more than $1.6 billion worth of investments. A steel supply chain from Massachusetts to Louisiana has bolstered vessel construction, supported turbine installation, and supplied onshore high voltage cables that are already sending 572 MW of much-needed power from the project to the Massachusetts grid. More than 30 vessels are supporting Vineyard Wind, built or retrofitted by shipyards in Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Virginia, and operated by East Coast and Gulf-based operators. According to a recent report, more than 3,700 people have worked on the project since development began, exceeding local hiring goals, with more than 70% of union labor coming from Southeastern Massachusetts.
In response, Oceantic Network has released the following statement from CEO Liz Burdock:
“Vineyard Wind is critical to securing not only Massachusetts’ electric grid, but the regional grid serving millions of residents that depend on the continued, reliable delivery of electricity, especially during these cold winter months. Offshore wind performs well during the winter season, stabilizing rising energy costs for local communities that depend on peaker plants today for adequate supply, which forces families to pay more for the power they need. Oceantic applauds this result to get the project over the finish line 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. Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, 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) is still subject to the construction pause and lease suspension, with a hearing scheduled for February 2.
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.
