Five offshore wind projects—Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind-Commercial, Empire Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Sunrise Wind, and Vineyard Wind 1—resumed construction after federal courts issued preliminary injunctions against stop-work orders imposed by the US Department of the Interior (DOI).
The US government said it will appeal those rulings, which temporarily block the stop-work orders while the underlying lawsuits move forward. The construction suspensions were issued on 22 December 2025.
US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Bloomberg Television that the DOI would appeal the decisions. He added that once the government presents classified reports in a court session, there would be further discussion.
Burgum reiterated national security as the basis for the construction halt, pointing mainly to potential radar and sonar interference. In the same interview, he also cited autonomous drones and autonomous “submarines” as technology used in offshore wind that he said could make the country’s defence system more vulnerable.
On 2 February, the US District Court for the District of Columbia granted a preliminary injunction sought by Ørsted. The source did not specify the year for this court action.
