Courts Strike Down All Five Stop-Work Orders for Offshore Wind Projects

(WASHINGTON – Feb 2, 2026) Today, a district court judge struck down the stop-work order on the Sunrise Wind project, marking the fifth time courts have overturned the Department of Interior’s order halting work on five offshore wind projects under construction. 

Sunrise Wind now joins Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Empire Wind, Revolution Wind and Vineyard Wind, all of which have been cleared to resume work. Collectively, the projects will provide enough power for roughly 2.5 million homes and businesses on the East Coast. 

“Once again, the Trump administration tried to stop the build-out of affordable, clean power that millions of Americans need — and once again, they lost in court,” said Ted Kelly, Director and Lead Counsel for U.S. Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund. 

“Because the East Coast relies so heavily on volatile natural gas, adding more cost-stable wind power to the grid is essential for increasing supply and keeping bills down. Offshore wind delivers immense value during electricity crunches in the winter because ocean winds are often at their strongest. The already-built portion of Vineyard Wind saved New Englanders $2 million per day in energy costs during a December cold snap. 

“That’s why it makes no sense for this administration to keep kneecapping America’s largest source of renewable power. We need more cheap, homegrown power on the grid — not less.”

Background:

• Sunrise Wind: nearly 45% complete and will deliver enough power for 600,000 homes and businesses in New York.
• Vineyard Wind: 95% complete and partially operational; will deliver enough power for 400,000 homes and businesses in Massachusetts.
• Empire Wind: nearly 60% complete and will deliver enough power for 500,000 homes and businesses in New York.
• Revolution Wind: over 80% complete and will deliver enough power for more than 350,000 homes and businesses in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
• Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind: expected to deliver power at the end of March 2026,enough for more than 600,000 homes and businesses in Virginia.

In December, a federal judge struck down the Trump administration’s ban on wind energy permitting, which affected both offshore and onshore projects.