POLITICS

Court Allows Empire Wind; Vineyard Wind Seeks Injunction

PUBLISHED Jan 15, 2026, 12:51 PM ET

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Media Bias Meter

Sources: 6

Left 17%

Center 83%

Sources: 6

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.

By Najma A. | JQJO News

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.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 6
Right Leaning:: 0
Left Leaning:: 1
Neutral:: 5
Distribution:: Left 17%, Center 83%, Right 0%

Who Benefited

Developers, renewable energy investors, and state governments benefited from court rulings allowing project work to resume, preserving construction schedules and potential electricity delivery.

Who Impacted

The Trump administration faced legal setbacks while developers, workers and regional customers suffered economic and operational disruptions from paused construction.