A federal judge has temporarily stayed a lawsuit challenging Dominion Energy's offshore wind farm project near Virginia Beach. The decision, made by Judge Loren AliKhan of the U.S. District Court in Washington, gives the conservative groups behind the suit until late September to decide whether to continue the legal action.

The lawsuit, filed by groups including the Heartland Institute and Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, alleges that federal agencies did not fully assess the project's environmental impacts on marine life, particularly whales, under the Endangered Species Act. The plaintiffs oppose renewable energy initiatives and question climate change science.

The legal delays come amid shifts in federal policy under former President Donald Trump, who sought to slow offshore wind development. Despite the lawsuit, Dominion's $10.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project--expected to be the largest in the U.S. with 176 turbines generating 2.6 gigawatts--is more than halfway complete.

Dominion maintains that it has implemented measures to protect marine life, such as reducing boat speeds and minimizing underwater noise during construction.

Source: whro.org