Posted on February 4, 2026
Washington, DC: Today, Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Sunrise Wind, aimed at powering 600,000 New York homes, can resume construction. This marks the fifth time in a row that a federal court has allowed one of the five offshore wind projects suspended in December to move forward.
Since December, Vineyard Wind off Massachusetts, Revolution Wind off Rhode Island, Empire Wind off New York, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) off Virginia have all won similar legal battles. In response, both state and national organizations celebrated these wins that will reduce energy costs, build more good paying jobs, and reject unfounded attacks on clean energy.
League of Conservation Voters Local Clean Energy Deployment Director, Kathleen Meil
“The Trump Administration’s attempts to ban clean energy have already cost us billions. They’ve stalled projects, killed jobs, and raised energy bills for millions of families. Today’s ruling is yet another proof point that their actions are built on baseless claims propping up Trump’s irrational vendetta against offshore wind. As energy demand continues to rise, the Trump Administration is doing everything they can to block the deployment of affordable, reliable clean energy. We will keep fighting to lower energy costs, grow clean energy jobs, and protect the health and safety of our communities.”
Environmental League of Massachusetts Senior Offshore Wind Director and Regional Lead, New England for Offshore Wind, Katie Segal
“Recent federal court rulings affecting five offshore wind projects have made one thing clear: the rule of law still matters.
Judges overseeing challenges to the federal government’s Dec. 22 offshore wind lease suspensions have now allowed construction to resume on all the affected projects, including Revolution Wind and Vineyard Wind here in New England.
When critical infrastructure projects are forced to stop mid-construction, union workers are sent home without paychecks in the middle of winter. Families and businesses face higher electricity bills as critical new power sources are delayed. And communities live with the risk of blackouts as demand for electricity continues to rise.
The five affected offshore wind projects were thoroughly evaluated prior to construction. Developers operate within a system designed to protect national interests while advancing American energy production. The courts recognized that the governments’ current claims were not sufficient to stop construction while the challenges to the earlier issued permits unfolded in court.
As a result, workers can return to their jobs, and New England, along with the rest of the East Coast, can move closer to a more affordable, reliable, and resilient energy future. This legal victory is a reminder that when lawful processes are respected, everyday Americans benefit.”
New York League of Conservation Voters President, Julie Tighe
“Today’s court ruling is a clear victory for New York workers, families, and our clean energy future. NYLCV applauds the decision allowing Empire Wind to resume construction, and we urge swift and similar action for Sunrise Wind and the other projects across the East Coast. Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind alone employ thousands of workers across New York and throughout the country, and once completed they will produce more than 1.7 gigawatts of clean, reliable, affordable energy – enough to power more than 1.1 million homes. Stopping these projects prevent New Yorkers from accessing reliable energy without the rollercoaster ride of costly fossil fuels.
These projects underwent exhaustive reviews – including from the Department of Defense – prior to being fully permitted by the federal government. The President must not now unilaterally contradict these reviews and throw thousands of union workers off the job, no matter how badly he wants to curry favor with his Big Oil donors.
“We look forward to workers returning to the job without further delay and to the courts ultimately rejecting the Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to kill clean energy jobs and halt fully permitted projects.”
Virginia League of Conservation Voters Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, Blair St. Ledger-Olson
“Virginia needs more, not less, affordable clean energy and today’s ruling helps make that happen. When complete, this offshore wind project will be the nation’s largest, powering hundreds of thousands of Virginia homes with clean, renewable energy, while creating hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars of investment in our economy. The Trump Administration’s continued obstruction of clean energy projects may be good for his fossil fuel donors, but it hurts Virginians, saddling us with higher energy bills and dirtier air while killing good-paying jobs. We are pleased that CVOW has been allowed to proceed and look forward to continuing to unlock more clean energy off our coast, and securing offshore wind as an economic driver well into the future.”
