The Case Against Offshore Wind Is Already Crumbling

The article discusses the Trump administration’s repeated attempts to halt offshore wind projects along the U.S. Atlantic Coast by citing national security concerns, efforts that have largely failed both legally and practically. Beginning with a December 22 stop-work order on five major offshore wind farms—including Vineyard Wind, Revolution Wind, Sunrise Wind, Empire Wind, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind—the administration claimed a dire national security emergency. However, this claim quickly unraveled as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management allowed Vineyard Wind to continue partial operations, and state governors (except Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin) challenged the legitimacy of the emergency declaration. Previous stop-work orders earlier in the year similarly faltered, with courts ruling against the administration’s broad halts on projects already permitted or underway. Legal setbacks have significantly undermined the administration’s efforts. Federal judges ruled that stopping work on leases already permitted was arbitrary and illegal, and the administration failed to appeal these decisions effectively. Dominion Energy’s lawsuit to resume work on the Virginia project is pending, with