A federal judge has dealt the Trump administration yet another courtroom defeat over offshore wind, ruling Tuesday that construction can resume on the nearly complete $4.5 billion Vineyard Wind project off Martha’s Vineyard.
Judge Brian E. Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction allowing developers to restart work, marking the fourth legal setback for the administration’s aggressive push to kill the nation’s burgeoning offshore wind industry, The New York Times reported.
The Trump administration had abruptly ordered all work halted on Vineyard Wind and four other East Coast projects just before Christmas, citing a classified Defense Department report alleging national security risks. But Judge Murphy, appointed by former President Joe Biden, wasn’t buying it. After reviewing the classified material under seal, he said the administration failed to “adequately explain or justify the decision to halt construction.”
Vineyard Wind is 95 percent complete and already pumping power into Massachusetts’ grid. Once finished, it’ll power over 400,000 homes and businesses. The roughly $2 million daily losses have been piling up during the shutdown.
The White House fired back through spokeswoman Taylor Rogers, insisting the pause was necessary because “our number one priority is to put America First and protect the national security of the American people.” She vowed “ultimate victory.”
Three other offshore wind projects, Revolution Wind, Empire Wind, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, have won similar court victories. Gov. Maura Healey called Tuesday’s ruling “an important development” protecting thousands of well-paying jobs.
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