The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has asked a federal court to pause a lawsuit challenging the construction permit for the 2,600 megawatt offshore wind project known as New England Wind, citing its intent to reconsider the permit under new guidance from the administration.
The request comes as BOEM revisits its July 2024 approval of the project’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP), following a directive from the White House. The agency said the original permit “may have failed to account for all the impacts that New England Wind Projects 1 and 2 may cause.”
Under the original approval, New England Wind was slated for up to 2.6 GW capacity. Under an agreement with the state of Massachusetts, 791 MW of that capacity would be delivered under a power-purchase contract.
The legal motion was submitted as part of a lawsuit brought by environmental and community groups earlier this year. BOEM says reconsideration of the permit is underway and that construction of New England Wind is not yet active or imminent.
Analysts say the move marks the latest in a series of federal efforts to reassess major offshore wind approvals — a trend that could affect timelines, financing and public confidence in the U.S. offshore wind sector.
