A U.S. federal judge has granted Dominion Energy a preliminary injunction allowing construction to resume on its 2.6-gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, lifting a stop-work order imposed by the Trump administration on offshore wind developments.
The ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia clears the way for Dominion to restart work on the project, which had been suspended since December, when federal authorities ordered construction to halt on five offshore wind farms under development in the United States.
Dominion said it would now prioritise a safe and orderly restart of activities. “Our team will focus on safely restarting work to ensure CVOW begins delivery of critical energy in weeks,” the company said in a statement.
The utility added that it will continue to seek a longer-term resolution with the federal government even as its legal challenge moves forward. Dominion has argued that the stop-work order lacked a sufficient legal and procedural basis.
Once completed, CVOW will comprise 176 offshore wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 2.6 GW, enough electricity to power up to 660,000 homes, according to the company.
Dominion said the project is a central component of its broader energy strategy. CVOW is “a critical part of our all-of-the-above diverse energy supply strategy to meet the region’s growing demand,” the company said.
The decision marks a significant development for the U.S. offshore wind sector, which has faced mounting regulatory and political uncertainty in recent months.
