Offshore Wind Energy 
Happy New Year! As 2026 gets underway, this first edition of the Seabreeze takes stock of where offshore wind stands after a turbulent year—and what’s beginning to shift. While challenges remain, some early wins suggest a sector recalibrating rather than retreating. Thank you for continuing to follow offshore wind with us as the industry enters its next phase, and if you know someone that would benefit from these insights, please invite them to Sign Up!
Amicus Brief Supporting the Restoration of Responsible Wind, Solar Energy Permitting
SPOTLIGHT: On January 16, the National Wildlife Federation and several other conservation organizations filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit against the Trump Administration responding to six final agency actions that interfere with wind and solar permitting. The groups emphasized the affordability, reliability, and public health benefits of wind and solar resources.
FEDERAL UPDATES:
Since January 2025, the federal landscape for offshore wind has shifted significantly. As we enter the new year, to help track the numerous federal impacts on offshore wind in 2025, NWF has compiled an interactive story map detailing every action taken by the Trump Administration. A one-page downloadable PDF can be found at the end of the page.
On December 23, 2025, eight regional organizations representing solar and wind developer interests and one consumer group filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Massachusetts against the Department of Interior in response to six final agency actions that strategically result in treating wind and solar as second-class to conventional energy sources. NWF joined other conservation groups in filing an amicus brief to support this lawsuit.
In response to the Trump Administration’s December 22, 2025 stop work order on all offshore wind projects (citing unspecified national security concerns), the developers of all five projects currently under construction filed lawsuits. At the time of this newsletter, courts have allowed four of the five projects to resume construction. Each developer has committed to working with the federal government to address their concerns. Below is a project by project breakdown:
Revolution Wind: This project sued on January 1, by adding a complaint to their previous, ongoing case in response to the first Trump Administration stop work order against the project. The government filed their opposition brief on January 8 citing the need for an updated assessment by the Department of War of the risks to military radar, operations, and readiness from turbine rotation. Following a January 12 hearing, Judge Royce C. Lamberth granted a preliminary injunction to Orsted on the same day.
Empire Wind 1: The project sued on January 2, with a hearing held on January 14. Judge Carl J. Nichols granted the preliminary injunction to Equinor on January 15, allowing construction to resume. Additionally, on January 9, the New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit in the District Court for the District of Columbia opposing the stop work order.
Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind: The project sued on December 23, 2025, in the District Court of Eastern Virginia. CVOW also filed a motion for a temporary restraining order on December 29 which was denied. A preliminary injunction was granted by Judge Jamar K. Walker on January 16.
Sunrise Wind: The project sued on January 6, with a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for February 2 with Judge Lamberth. The NY Attorney General filed a lawsuit opposing the stop work order on January 9 in the District Court for the District of Columbia.
Vineyard Wind 1: The project sued on January 15, with a preliminary injunction hearing held on January 23 in the District Court of Massachusetts. Judge Brian E. Murphy issued a stay from the bench, allowing the 95% complete project to resume construction.
STATE AND REGIONAL UPDATES:
NORTHEAST (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI)
In the Northeast, the Trump Administration’s stop work order sparked immediate action from government and non-government groups. ISO New England, the regional grid operator, released a statement about the important role Vineyard Wind and Revolution Wind will play in meeting New England’s demand for energy.
The Governors of Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum requesting more information on the national security threats posed by offshore wind energy. In the letter, the Governors noted that, “by obstructing domestic power generation, you are inviting grid failure, surrendering the industries of the future, and threatening the economy and national security.”
In New York, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced a $300 million competitive solicitation for port infrastructure development that will increase New York’s capacity to build offshore wind projects and create thousands of good-paying jobs. Governor Hochul joined several hundred New York workers, union members, and environmental groups at a union hall in central Long Island to rally against the lease suspensions. Additionally in the state, the New York Attorney General sued the Trump Administration over the Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind stop work orders, calling it a reckless decision.
Connecticut and Rhode Island joined forces to block the Trump Administration’s stop work order on Revolution Wind. Attorneys General William Tong (CT) and Peter Neronha (RI) cited the sizable cost to ratepayers from a 90-day delay and the years-long process which thoroughly and carefully planned the project with input from environmental groups, the general public, and multiple departments of the federal government. In Massachusetts, a Nantucket group of fishermen sued the federal government to vacate the approvals for Vineyard Wind. The group listed unspecified concerns about “the disruptive effects the turbines have on civil aviation and national defenses, imperiling safety.” Vineyard Wind worked closely with the Department of Defense at every stage of the permitting process. Additionally in Massachusetts, as ports are pivoting to adjust for the challenging offshore wind environment, contract processes are also being delayed for Ocean Winds’ 1,287 MW SouthCoast Wind and Avangrid’s 791 MW New England Wind. These delays and challenges will have real consequences on jobs, economic opportunities, and reliable energy for Massachusetts.
MID-ATLANTIC (DE, MD, NC, VA)
PJM, the grid operator for most of the Mid-Atlantic region, filed an amicus brief in support of Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project citing the irreparable harm to the 67 million residents of the region if the project continues being delayed.
In Delaware, Governor Matt Meyer spoke with the News Journal about the need for offshore wind energy to address rising energy demand and costs in the state. Elsewhere in the state, Fenwick Island and Sussex County sued the State of Delaware over recent US Wind substation laws. The Indian River substation site was chosen by US Wind in order to take advantage of an existing substation and the related transmission corridors.
On January 12 in Maryland, the anti-offshore wind advocacy group, Stop Offshore Wind, held a public forum in Ocean City. The City of Ocean City has spent at least $600,000 in legal fees and public relations resources to oppose offshore wind development. Rebecca Rehr, Director of Climate Policy & Justice at the Maryland League of Conservation Voters spoke with DelMarva Today to explain why environmental organizations support offshore wind, and to address some of the concerns presented at the forum.
In Virginia, Rogard Ross, the conservation chair for the Cape Henry Audubon Society and president of the Friends of Indian River, penned an opinion column for The Virginia Pilot to highlight the importance of offshore wind for the state.The piece covered both climate and economic benefits for the Commonwealth. In North Carolina, researchers at NC State University created a model to simulate wind, waves, tides, and currents in an effort to help identify the best areas for offshore energy facilities.
GULF OF MEXICO (LA, TX)
In the Gulf of Mexico, Texas A&M researchers are developing an anchoring system for floating offshore wind. Current anchoring systems were developed for oil and gas uses, but accounted for less than 1% of their operational cost. With floating renewable energy sources, the mooring and anchoring systems are estimated to account for 15-20% of the cost.
The Houston Chronicle recently featured a story highlighting the attacks on renewable energy and the need to oppose those attacks. The article contrasts an “all-of-the-above” energy approach with the sudden shift to oppose energy sources like offshore wind energy.
PACIFIC (CA, HI, OR, WA)
The Pacific continues to make steady progress in planning for offshore wind. In Oregon, the Oregonian brought energy demand front and center through a series of articles focussing on demand, data centers, utilities, and more.
These issues will continue to be top of mind for Oregonians as the public comment period for the Oregon Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap process is expected to start in mid-February and extend through March. The comment period will include virtual statewide public comment events, as well as public meetings along the coast. The Oregon Kitchen Table is also recruiting Oregon High Schoolers to provide input on offshore wind.
Oregon SeaGrant will be hosting a series of educational webinars on offshore wind.
In California, the National Wildlife Federation collaborated with partners to create a Central Coast offshore wind website which will highlight how responsible offshore wind can benefit the region.
Additionally in California, the National Wildlife Federation joined partners to provide comments responding to the Administrative Law Judge’s ruling on electricity portfolios for the 2026–2027 Transmission Planning Process (TPP). The comments support the Commission’s inclusion of offshore wind in the base case portfolio, and successfully urged the Commission to amend the base case to assume that Humboldt offshore wind begins delivering power by 2036, not 2041.
Recent
Clean Energy States Alliance Webinar: Labor Unions and Offshore Wind 101 Part 2: Project Labor Agreements
January 15 | Recording
As a sequel to the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA)’s September 2025 webinar, “Labor Unions and Offshore Wind 101,” this CESA webinar explores the role that PLAs play in the planning and construction of offshore wind projects. Presenters discuss how PLAs are negotiated, typical PLA terms and structures, and how PLAs can promote the equitable development of offshore wind projects.
Upcoming
International Partnering Forum (IPF)
February 9-12 in New York, NY | Register
Where marine renewable technology meets execution. Join U.S. and global leaders in wave, tidal, floating solar, and large-scale ocean energy projects to turn ideas into action. Ports, vessels, grid, and transmission—if it moves the industry forward, it’s here.
GulfCon 2026
May 4-7 in Mobile, AL | Register
Held at the Mobile Convention Center, this event will bring together coastal scientists and stakeholders in state and federal government, academia, non-profit, and private sectors to discuss current Gulf research and to help plan for the future of the Gulf. Emphasizing the intersection of science and management, GulfCon will include sessions on themes that are important to ecosystem and community resilience as well as restoration and natural resource management.
2026 Pacific Offshore Wind Summit
May 18-20 in Long Beach, CA | Register
The Pacific Offshore Wind Summit brings together state and federal officials, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to mobilize support and build momentum for California to meet its ambitious planning goals to generate up to 5 gigawatts (GW) from offshore wind by 2030 and a nation-leading 25 GW by 2045.
READ PAST SEABREEZE ISSUES BELOW:
December 2025
November 2025
October 2025
September 2025
August 2025