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A US federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction allowing construction to resume on the $11.2 billion, 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, which is set to become the largest offshore wind farm in the country. The ruling comes as part of an ongoing lawsuit by Dominion Energy, challenging a government stop-work order.

The pause had been imposed on five US offshore wind projects by former President Donald Trump in December 2025, citing national security concerns. Judge Jamar Walker of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that the order was too broad to target the CVOW project specifically, noting the risks cited related to wind farm operations rather than construction.

The project, co-owned by Dominion Energy and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, is approximately 67% complete. Dominion has reportedly spent around $9 billion so far, losing $5 million daily during the pause. First power had been expected in the first quarter of 2026, though timelines may now be delayed.

“Oceantic applauds this result to get the project moving again to deliver reliable, affordable power and good-paying jobs,” said Oceantic CEO Liz Burdock.

This decision follows similar rulings allowing Equinor’s 810 MW Empire project off New York and Ørsted’s 704 MW Revolution project to resume construction after federal judges overturned stop-work orders. The rulings mark a critical step forward for US offshore wind, which is increasingly positioned as a major source of clean energy and economic development along the East Coast.

Source: windpowermonthly.com