Updated February 2, 2026 – A United States district court judge has granted an injunction allowing construction on Ørsted’s 924 MW Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm project to resume, overturning the U.S. Department of the Interior’s lease suspension order that had halted progress in December 2025. The January 2026 court order effectively allows Sunrise Wind project to continue work while legal challenges to the suspension proceed.

Current Status on Sunrise Offshore Wind Project

Project overview: Sunrise Wind is a 924 MW offshore wind farm located off the coasts of New York and Rhode Island. It is jointly developed by Ørsted and partners, and designed to supply clean electricity to New York State.

Construction progress: Prior to the suspension order, the project was about 45% complete, with 44 of 84 monopile foundations installed. The offshore converter station is also in place, and onshore electrical infrastructure largely finished alongside near-shore export cable installations.

Original schedule: Before being halted by President Trump’s administration, Sunrise Wind was expected to begin generating power as early as October 2026. Full commercial operation was also planned in 2027 under a long-term 25-year power contract with New York State.

Project stop-work order: On 22 December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a 90-day lease suspension order affecting Sunrise Wind and four other offshore wind projects on national security grounds, prompting Ørsted to pursue legal channels.

Legal action: Ørsted filed a complaint and motion for a preliminary injunction challenging the legality of the suspension. The developer argued that it would cause significant harm given the project’s advanced stage and investment commitments.

Court decision: The recent February 2026 federal judge’s ruling clears the way for construction to resume, joining similar judicial decisions for other paused wind projects, including Equinor’s Empire Wind farm in New York.

What This Means for the Offshore Wind Sector

Sunrise Wind was part of a group of five large U.S. offshore wind farms paused by BOEM in late 2025. Other projects like Revolution Wind and Vineyard Wind also secured judicial relief to continue work while challenges proceed.

The dispute also highlights ongoing tensions between federal regulatory actions and renewable energy build-out objectives in the US. On the other hand, offshore wind developers are also making their case on the importance of these projects for grid reliability, job creation, and decarbonization.

Additionally, the injunction sets an important judicial precedent that federal pause orders cannot be implemented mid-construction without clear statutory basis. This reaffirming that renewable energy projects with active leases and permits retain certain procedural protections. This decision also strengthens investor confidence in offshore wind projects.

Furthermore, hundreds of marine crews and technicians were affected by the December pause. Resumption of construction activities at Sunrise offshore wind project helps sustain jobs created in shipyards, ports, and the broader offshore wind supply chain. This also goes to support economic development in states like New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. The continuation of Sunrise Wind also shores up demand for skilled labor in turbine assembly, cable installation, and foundation fabrication as development continues past 45% completion.

Delays also affect project economics by increasing financing costs as seen with Coastal Virginia Ooffshore Wind farm. The recent construction resumption helps Sunrise Wind maintain its original Contracts for Difference (CfD) pricing and off-take expectations. This reduces the likelihood of renegotiations or cost overruns that could otherwise translate into higher contract prices for consumers and/or taxpayers.

Sunrise Wind Offshore Wind Farm Project Factsheet

Location: Offshore Atlantic Ocean approximately 30 miles (48 km) east of Montauk Point, New York. Also near Block Island, Rhode Island, and south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Lease Area: 109,952 acres on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS-A 0487).

Developer and Owner: Ørsted US Offshore Wind who is the sole owner following acquisition of Eversource’s prior share.

Capacity: 924 MW. Serves as a utility-scale offshore wind farm.

Turbines: Up to 84 wind turbines installed within the lease area.

Turbine Specs: Each turbine has a rotor diameter of 167 m.

Grid Connection: Export cables land on Long Island, New York, connecting to the Holbrook Substation. These will ultimately serve the New York grid.

Power Output and Homes Equivalent: Designed to generate enough electricity for 600,000 homes once fully operational.

Construction Timeline:

• Construction began: 2024.

• Initial commercial operation: Expected in 2027. This is subject to resumed construction progress after temporary December 2025 pause.

Current Project Status: Under construction. Progress resumed in early 2026 following a federal court injunction against the 2025 pause order by the Trump administration affecting offshore wind projects.

Environmental and Regulatory Approvals:

• Record of Decision (ROD) issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior and BOEM on March 26, 2024.

• Construction and Operations Plan (COP) approved by BOEM on June 21, 2024.

• Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) completed and made available in 2023.

Economic and Workforce Impact:

• Supports 800 direct construction jobs annually and 300 operations jobs once operational.

• Construction is expected to generate substantial local economic activity. This also includes union labor participation and investments in port and supply infrastructure.

Construction Begins at Sunrise Wind, the Largest Offshore Wind Farm in US

Reported July 22,2024 – Governor Kathy Hochul marked the beginning of construction of the largest offshore wind project, Sunrise Wind farm, which seeks to become the largest in New York. Launched by Ørsted, this large-scale and complex project will consist of 924-megawatt. This is capacity enough to generate sufficient clean power to serve 600,000 homes in New York. This is also a major step forward in the addressing the long active goals and objectives of the state in terms of enhancing a green economy and mitigating climate change. In the process of the announcement, Governor Hochul also underlined that New York is on a mission to become the first state in building a carbon-neutral future.

The next two phases will continue to grow New York’s green economy, building clean energy, and expanding opportunities for all New Yorkers,’ Governor Hochul said. With the beginning the construction of Sunrise Wind and the progress in the new round of offshore wind projects, New York outlines a huge leap to address climate change. These projects will also generate clean middle class union jobs and prove that New York is leading the country to construct the offshore wind industry.

Project Scope

This was important for Sunrise Wind because it started the construction phase of what is expected to provide over 800 direct employment. These jobs will take place throughout construction and are projected to cause stimulus from the Capital Region to Long Island. This means that a massive $700 million will be invested in Suffolk County alone. The investment will improve the economic situation of the area sharply. Additionally, main construction work in the project shall be done under the project labor agreements to encourage states to employ union labor force throughout the phases of construction. This is also aimed at supporting fair standards of compensation and wages.

This location makes strategic sense because it will ensure that the project will effectively deliver clean energy to thousands of homes in New York state. This is in a bid to make positive contribution towards renewable energy. Sunrise Wind, which can be considered a mature project, sunrise wind also have already gone through all the significant federal and state permitting steps. On the 21st of June, 2024, BOEM, which is the U. S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, authorized the COP for the Wind Island Project. This approval is important one as this would enable the project to go on with its development without having to face other regulatory compounding factors.

Economic Impact by Sunrise Wind Farm Project

Sunrise Wind farm is, in a way, an addition to New York’s comprehensive plan to captain the offshore wind demand and renewable energy in general. While most states see climate change and the need for economic development as being adverse effects of each other, with the push for Sunrise Wind, New York stands to reduce the former while promoting the latter. Such efforts are consistent with the state climate plan and its more general priorities on matters concerning responsibilities for environmental stewardship.

The recent statement made by Governor Hochul reflects New York State’s commitment to creating a more environmentally friendly tomorrow. In this way New York is leading several states to invest in big ticket renewable energy generation prospects. Sunrise Wind is a perfect example of how actions on clean energy will create more jobs, stimulate economic development and serve as the guide to a future of sustainable power generation.

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