A federal judge has allowed an offshore wind project in Massachusetts to resume construction, ending a weekslong pause imposed by the Trump administration.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy on Tuesday ordered a stay on the Vineyard Wind 1 stop-work order imposed by the Trump administration in December.
The judge’s decision marks the fourth U.S. offshore wind project to receive court approval in recent days to resume construction halted by the Trump administration. Before the stop-work order, Vineyard Wind 1 was generating power and expected to achieve full commercial operation by the end of last year.
In December 2025, the Department of the Interior announced it would pause five offshore wind projects along the East Coast, including Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind 1.
The Interior Department said the pause of the projects was related to national security concerns. It argued that the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers created radar interference, or “clutter,” that could obscure legitimate targets and generate false targets in their vicinity.
JUDGE ORDERS RESTART OF NEW YORK WIND PROJECT TARGETED BY TRUMP
Judges have similarly issued rulings in recent weeks giving the go-ahead to the Empire Wind project off New York, the Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island, and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.
The pause was part of the Trump administration’s recent efforts to slow the growth of the offshore wind industry. Alongside various policy actions targeting this sector, the administration has increased regulatory hurdles and canceled over $679 million in funding for offshore wind projects.
