Court Allows Vineyard Wind to Resume Construction After Halt

A federal judge granted a stay on the December stop-work order, allowing Vineyard Wind to resume construction because the government failed to justify the halt as necessary for national security related to operation rather than construction. The project is about 95% complete, with 44 turbines already producing power and 18 more to finish, and a critical installation vessel contract expiring at the end of March that ties into financing and utility contracts calling for full operation by then. The decision follows similar rulings for other offshore wind projects and leaves open further review by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.