The Trump administration has told a federal court that it is reviewing the construction and operations plan permit for Ocean Winds’ 2400MW SouthCoast Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is “reviewing its approvals associated with the Project and has determined, based on its review to date, that it wishes to reconsider its COP approval”, the Department of the Interior told the court in a filing on a separate challenge to the project from the Massachusetts town of Nantucket.
The COP is the final federal permit US offshore projects need before beginning construction, and SouthCoast Wind’s COP was approved by the administration of former US President Joe Biden during the final days of his tenure in Washington.
The permit allows for the construction of up to 141 turbines in the lease area, with landfall in Massachusetts.
SouthCoast Wind was selected for a procurement contract of 1,087MW from Massachusetts, and a further 200MW from Rhode Island in September 2024.
The Department of the Interior is asking the court to stay the Nantucket challenge, on the basis that the if the COP permit review leads to the permit’s cancellation, Nantucket’s lawsuit would be moot.