Judge Lifts Ban on Largest U.S. Offshore Wind Project

A massive clean energy project off Virginia's coast just got the green light to finish what it started.

Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, the largest offshore wind farm under construction in the United States, resumed work Friday after a federal judge lifted a surprise suspension. The project's 176 turbines will generate enough electricity to power more than 600,000 homes when completed in early 2026.

The Trump administration had halted construction in December, citing national security concerns. But Judge Jamar Walker found the suspension lacked proper justification and granted developer Dominion Energy's request to restart immediately.

Dominion's stock rose on the news as crews prepared to return to the Atlantic Ocean, 27 miles off Virginia Beach. The company called the suspension "arbitrary and illegal" and emphasized the stakes: stopping the project threatened power reliability for critical military installations, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and hundreds of thousands of civilian customers.

The timing couldn't be more crucial. Northern Virginia hosts the world's largest concentration of data centers, which are consuming unprecedented amounts of electricity to train and run AI applications. This wind farm will help meet that exploding demand without straining the existing grid.

The Bright Side

This legal victory represents more than one project getting back on track. Four other East Coast wind farms faced similar suspensions, and judges this week also allowed Revolution Wind off Rhode Island and Empire Wind near Long Island to resume construction.

The swift judicial response shows that major infrastructure projects with clear public benefits can move forward even amid political headwinds. These rulings protect thousands of construction jobs, billions in private investment, and commitments to cleaner energy sources.

Virginia officials have long supported the project as both an economic driver and grid stabilizer. The wind farm will diversify the state's energy mix while creating skilled jobs in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance for decades to come.

Dominion says it's now focused on "safely restarting work" while seeking a permanent resolution through cooperation with federal agencies. The company aims to begin delivering power within weeks of the original schedule.

Clean energy just proved it can weather the storm.