A major offshore wind project off the Virginia coast has been cleared to resume construction, delivering another courtroom setback to former President Donald Trump’s push against offshore wind development.
A federal judge in Virginia has allowed Dominion Energy to restart work on its massive Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, even as a broader legal challenge against the US Interior Department continues. The ruling opens the door for construction to move forward on the $11.2 billion project, one of the largest offshore wind ventures in the country.
The court found that the government’s stop-work directive was cast too widely and failed to account for the specific circumstances of Dominion’s project. In particular, the judge noted that the concerns cited by federal authorities—linked to potential national security risks involving radar interference—were tied to wind farm operations, not the construction phase that Dominion is currently undertaking.
The decision follows similar outcomes earlier in the week, when other offshore wind developers secured court orders allowing stalled projects to proceed after federal authorities abruptly halted several developments in offshore waters.
Dominion has already poured close to $9 billion into the Virginia project, which is expected to generate enough electricity to supply roughly 600,000 homes once operational. With the court’s clearance, the company says it will move quickly to restart work while continuing discussions with federal agencies to resolve the dispute.
The Interior Department has not publicly commented on the ruling.
For the offshore wind industry, the latest decision carries significant weight. While legal challenges remain unresolved and political resistance to offshore wind persists, the court’s intervention has revived momentum for projects that were abruptly put on hold—offering developers and investors a measure of relief, at least for now.
