Construction crews are heading back offshore Massachusetts after a US federal judge lifted a government-ordered pause on the Vineyard Wind project, dealing another blow to Washington’s attempt to freeze new offshore wind developments.
The decision, issued in Boston, allows work to resume on the Vineyard Wind site, one of several projects halted late last year by the Trump administration over alleged national security risks tied to radar interference. The ruling marks the fourth time a court has stepped in to ease restrictions imposed by the Interior Department on large-scale wind ventures.
Vineyard Wind is a $4.5 billion offshore project backed by Spain’s Iberdrola and Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. With construction roughly 95% complete, the project has already been feeding electricity into the regional grid for more than a year. Even under the federal pause, it had been permitted to keep generating power while new work was suspended.
Government officials cited classified intelligence as the basis for stopping the projects, arguing that turbine installations could interfere with sensitive radar systems. Developers challenged that move in court, seeking to permanently overturn the order. The latest ruling gives Vineyard Wind temporary breathing room to keep building while the broader legal fight plays out.
The Interior Department declined to comment on the case, citing ongoing litigation.
Vineyard Wind said it will prioritize a safe and orderly restart of construction and continue discussions with federal authorities as the dispute moves forward. For now, the judgment signals growing judicial resistance to the administration’s hard line on offshore wind—and offers developers cautious optimism that their stalled investments may yet move ahead.
