POLITICS

Court Allows Empire Wind; Vineyard Wind Seeks Injunction

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Washington, a federal judge on Thursday allowed construction to resume on Equinor’s Empire Wind project off New York while he reviews the government’s suspension order, dealing a legal setback to the Trump administration’s December pause of five offshore wind leases. Vineyard Wind separately asked a federal court for a temporary restraining order to lift the pause on its nearly complete Massachusetts project, saying it loses $2 million daily. Companies cited procedural defects in the administration’s action; developers and state officials sought rapid relief to avoid project cancellations and grid disruptions. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research and analysis.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.

Timeline of Events

Oct 2025: Maersk canceled an installation-vessel contract linked to Empire Wind amid earlier stop-work orders.
22 Dec 2025: Interior Department announced a pause on five East Coast offshore wind leases citing national security.
Dec 2025: Contract dispute settled and the nearly-complete installation vessel scheduled for February delivery.
15 Jan 2026: US District Judge Carl J. Nichols allowed Equinor’s Empire Wind to resume construction pending review.
15 Jan 2026: Vineyard Wind filed for a temporary restraining order and injunction, citing project losses and near-completion status.