SouthCoast Offshore Windfarm Becomes Next Target of Trump Administration

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The SouthCoast Wind offshore windfarm, planned for a location about 20 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, has become the latest wind development threatened by the Trump administration's war on "windmills." In a court filing late last week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion in a suit brought by the town of Nantucket appealing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) approval of the project, saying that the suit made little sense as the Department of the Interior already plans to formally move for reconsideration of the project's construction and operations plan by September 18. Approval for the project was issued under Joe Biden's presidency. The court motion was filed the same day that the Trump administration announced the cancellation of $679 million in federal funding for offshore wind infrastructure projects.

The SouthCoast Wind offshore windfarm is being developed by Ocean Winds North America (Boston, Massachusetts), a joint venture of EDP Renewables (Houston, Texas) and ENGIE (La Defense, France). The company won the lease in 2018, and the approval plan calls for up to 141 wind turbines, with a combined generation potential of 2.4 gigawatts. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports. The first phase of the windfarm's construction was expected to kick off in 2027.

The DOJ's court filing regarding SouthCoast came the same day the Trump administration announced that it was pulling more than $679 million in funding for projects involving offshore wind infrastructure. Among the projects to have funding yanked was the Sparrow's Point steel mill project near Baltimore, Maryland, which is associated with US Wind's (Baltimore) planned 2.2-GW windfarm off the Maryland coast, which is in the process of having its permit revoked. Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Metals & Minerals Project Database can click here for more details on the Sparrows Point project and see August 27, 2025, news article - Maryland Offshore Windfarm Becomes Renewed Target in Administration's Sights. The wind project losing the most funding in Friday's announcement was northern California's Humboldt Bay floating offshore development, which would have included up to 67 floating turbines to generate about 1,000 megawatts. (See project report.)

The funding removal and action against the Maryland windfarm came close on the heels of the administration's stop-work order for the 80%-complete Revolution windfarm off the Rhode Island coast. (See related project reports.)

The recent round of cancellations and yanked funding prompted five governors from Northeastern states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and New Jersey) to on Labor Day issue a joint statement calling for the administration "to uphold all offshore wind permits already granted and allow these projects to be constructed." The governors' statement went on to say, "Efforts to walk back these commitments jeopardize hardworking families, wasting years of progress and ceding leadership to foreign competitors. Workers, businesses, and communities need certainty, not reversals that would cost tens of thousands of American jobs and critical investment."

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).