Vineyard Wind said it will restart work on the project and continue engaging with the government.
A federal judge on Jan. 27 issued a stay of the Trump administration’s stop-work order on Vineyard Wind, allowing construction activities to resume at the Massachusetts offshore wind project.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy granted the company’s motion to pause the government’s stop work order, which the Department of the Interior (DOI) issued in December 2025 halting construction at five major offshore wind projects—Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind 1—to allow officials to assess potential national security risks posed by the projects.
The judge said the decision was based on the potential economic losses caused by the stop-work order and the plaintiff’s likelihood of success on the claims.
In a statement, Vineyard Wind said it would restart work on the project and continue engaging with the government on the issues raised in its order while the legal process continues.
“Vineyard Wind will focus on working in coordination with its contractors, the federal government, and other relevant stakeholders and authorities to safely restart activities, as it continues to deliver a critical source of new power to the New England region,” the company said.
Vineyard Wind 1, located 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, was 95 percent complete and partially operational, with the capacity to produce 572 megawatts of power for the New England electric grid when the DOI issued the stop-work order in December, according to the company’s complaint.
The project received federal leasing approval in 2021 and was on track to be completed by March 2026 with a planned capacity of 800 megawatts from 62 wind turbine generators to supply electricity to approximately 400,000 homes before being halted by the DOI, the filing said.
Sens. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) welcomed the court’s decision and warned that shutting off the project would lead to job losses and deprive residents of electricity.
“Vineyard Wind 1 is currently delivering affordable and reliable power into our grid and has the permits, financing, and approval to deliver even more,” the lawmakers said in a statement. “We need all the affordable, reliable, and clean electricity we can get.”
