Trump admin sued for halting work on the US’s largest offshore wind farm

Dominion Power is suing the Trump administration after the US Division of the Inside ordered 5 offshore wind tasks at the moment beneath building to cease offshore work on December 22 – together with Dominion’s 2.6 gigawatt (GW) Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), the most important offshore wind farm within the US.

CVOW has been beneath building since early 2024 and was scheduled to come back on-line in early 2026. It’s able to offering sufficient clear vitality to energy about 660,000 properties. Dominion mentioned it has already spent round $8.9 billion on the $11.2 billion undertaking, and its prospects are footing the invoice. Moreover, Virginia has turn out to be a hub of knowledge middle development, making its vitality wants pressing.

On the middle of the dispute is a typical Trump administration declareie, obscure, skinny on proof, and launched at an ungainly time (proper earlier than Christmas this time): offshore wind generators may pose “nationwide safety dangers” primarily based on “not too long ago accomplished categorized reviews” as a result of their spinning blades and reflective towers can create radar “muddle” – interference that may generate false targets or masks actual ones.

Dominion claims the stop-work order is “arbitrary and capricious” and unconstitutional, as offshore vessels and crews are pressured to take a seat idle whereas prices pile up.

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5 tasks hit directly

The stop-work order applies to 5 US offshore wind farms at the moment beneath building: Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind in Virginia; Winery Wind 1 in Massachusetts; Revolution Wind serving Rhode Island and Connecticut; and Dawn Wind and Empire Wind in New York. Democratic governors within the different 4 states have vowed to combat the stop-work order.

All 5 tasks are energetic building websites that depend on slim climate home windows, specialised vessels, and tightly timed provide chains.

Dominion is first to sue

Dominion was the primary developer to file a lawsuit over the stop-work order on December 23.

In a key early transfer, US District Decide Jamar Walker transformed the case from a momentary restraining order to a movement for a preliminary injunction. If the courtroom grants the injunction, offshore work may resume whereas the broader authorized combat continues.

‘Labeled’ proof

Maritime Govt reviews the federal government advised the District Courtroom it estimates it could possibly present the categorized data underpinning the stop-work order through the week of January 5. The courtroom said that the data is essential to evaluating the request.

The choose additionally directed the federal government to tell the courtroom by December 31 whether or not it would present the confidential data to Dominion Power’s representatives.

Subsequent steps, per the courtroom schedule described by Maritime Govt:

The federal government is directed to provide the data to the courtroom by January 9, together with a response from Dominion. A listening to in Norfolk on January 16 will contemplate the transformed movement for the preliminary injunction.

Electrek’s Take

In fact, this didn’t come out of nowhere. Trump repeatedly says he needs to close down offshore wind, and his administration has been instructed to doggedly search for methods to choke the offshore wind trade. A sudden, across-the-board stop-work order, justified by obscure references to categorized reviews, seems like one more try and kneecap tasks which can be already within the water.

Additionally, radar interference from generators isn’t a brand new discovery. Dominion, for instance, advised the New York Instances that its wind farm was located in coordination with the navy. So if there are new points, the federal government ought to put them on the desk and pursue mitigation, quite than pulling an emergency brake on 5 energetic building websites with out offering any element by any means for the general public – and even the builders – to guage what’s allegedly so pressing.

Dominion argues in its lawsuit that the order is “the newest in a collection of irrational company actions attacking offshore wind after which doubling down when these actions are discovered illegal.” I reckon that’s an ideal abstract.

Learn extra: Inside Dept cuts 400k properties’ electrical energy simply earlier than Christmas, elevating costs

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