Construction crews can head back offshore.
A US federal judge has cleared Denmark’s Ørsted to restart work on its Sunrise Wind project off the New York coast, undoing a freeze imposed late last year when the Trump administration abruptly paused several offshore wind developments.
The decision, delivered in Washington by District Judge Royce Lambert, reopens one of the most closely watched renewable energy projects in US waters. Sunrise Wind had been among five projects ordered to stop work in December, a move that sent shockwaves through the offshore wind sector and rattled investors betting on America’s clean-energy buildout.
With the ruling, Ørsted regains the right to continue construction, marking another courtroom setback for efforts to curb offshore wind expansion through executive action. The judgment adds to a growing list of legal challenges that have chipped away at the administration’s attempts to slow the industry’s momentum.
For New York’s offshore wind ambitions, the ruling restores a key piece of the state’s long-term energy plans. For the broader sector, it signals that regulatory roadblocks may not be the final word when challenged in court.
