September 3, 2025
The Trump administration is set to revoke federal approval for Avangrid's New England Wind project, located off the coast of Massachusetts. This decision was revealed in a court filing on Wednesday. The move is part of a broader effort by U.S. authorities to halt the development of offshore wind energy, which former President Trump has criticized as unattractive, costly, and unreliable.
Recently, the administration also announced a review of the SouthCoast Wind project, another planned initiative in Massachusetts. These actions come as a setback to former President Joe Biden's climate change agenda, which heavily relied on offshore wind expansion. However, the sector has faced challenges, including rising costs and supply chain issues.
Last month, the Interior Department issued a stop-work order for the Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island, which was nearing completion. In the latest court filing, the Department of Justice indicated plans to vacate the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's approval of the New England Wind project by October 10.
The legal filing is part of a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by local groups opposing offshore wind development. The lawsuit claims that the government violated environmental laws in approving the project.
Avangrid, owned by Spanish company Iberdrola, has not commented on the situation. The New England Wind project, approved in 2024, is located 30 miles south of Barnstable, Massachusetts, and is divided into two leases. Once operational, it was expected to power 900,000 homes. Construction for New England Wind 1 was slated to begin this year, with service starting in 2029.
Thomas Stavola Jr., an attorney for the plaintiffs, stated that federal agencies are now acknowledging the project's flawed approvals, which allegedly breach several environmental statutes.
