The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a conservative think tank, has submitted a petition calling for a halt to construction of the 806-megawatt (MW) Vineyard Wind project off Massachusetts, the group said on Wednesday.
The petition was addressed to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, urging him to direct the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to “investigate and reconsider the approval process” of the project’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP). It also requested a suspension of all construction activities pending the outcome of the investigation.
The TPPF argued that the previous Biden administration “sidestepped its duties” under several environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act when approving the project.
The petition coincides with the Department of the Interior’s announcement this week of a forthcoming review aimed at “identifying and removing favouritism toward unreliable energy,” alongside a planned report with recommendations to reform federal renewables policy.
Separately, the department said it is withdrawing all unleased Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) from the outer continental shelf, which had been slated for offshore wind lease auctions.
The TPPF had earlier sought to block Vineyard Wind through the courts but was unsuccessful after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a lower court decision upholding the project.
