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Released September 22, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Jesse Broehl for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Trump administration is trying to derail one of the few remaining fully permitted offshore wind projects that hasn't already started construction.
Motion Filed to Vacate Marwin I Offshore Wind's COP
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) on September 12 filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in Maryland to remand and/or vacate its approval of the construction and operations plan (COP) for U.S. Wind's (Baltimore, Maryland) 2.2-gigawatt (GW) offshore windfarm planned to be built in the federal waters off Maryland. The project secured its COP for its phased approach with a first phase of 270 megawatts (MW) planned to be combined with additional phases to a potential maximum 2.2 GW total (114 turbines). Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project and Plant databases can click here for the project report and click here for the plant profile.
The motion was submitted as part of a legal action in which the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are the defendants. The case was brought forward by the mayor and city council of Ocean City, Maryland, against the DOI, BOEM and NMFS for approving the COP for U.S. Wind's project, which the federal government said would then be moot if its request for "voluntary remand with vacatur" is approved.
The BOEM is seeking to either remand or vacate the COP approval that the agency issued to U.S. Wind in December 2024 in order to re-evaluate the project and its COP approval process.
Project May have Already Been Unfinanceable with Current Federal Opposition
Although the project was potentially nearing a construction start, U.S. Wind had not yet secured final investment decision (FID) on the project, nor started construction. The recent DOI actions may be a moot point at this juncture -- or a nail in the coffin. The project was already unlikely to secure an FID and proceed to construction given this and many other roadblocks from the Trump administration.
Other Wind Projects at Risk
The DOI move against the U.S. Wind project fits a pattern of many actions the Trump administration has executed since taking office that either explicitly or implicitly hinder specific offshore wind projects and the industry as a whole sector.
The most recent and high-profile move was a stop-work order issued in late August from Trump's DOI against Orsted's (Fredericia, Denmark) $4.56 billion 704-MW Revolution Offshore Project & Interconnection. For more on that, see August 26, 2025, article - Backers Outraged over Stop-Work Order for Revolution Wind.
Revolution is 80% completed, with all offshore foundations installed and 70% of the turbines in place. Dozens of vessels and crew are idled at sea or port. The Danish company is suing the Trump administration, arguing that the administration lacked the legal authority for the decision and the stop-work order is "arbitrary and capricious."
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 more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
Motion Filed to Vacate Marwin I Offshore Wind's COP
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) on September 12 filed a motion in the U.S. District Court in Maryland to remand and/or vacate its approval of the construction and operations plan (COP) for U.S. Wind's (Baltimore, Maryland) 2.2-gigawatt (GW) offshore windfarm planned to be built in the federal waters off Maryland. The project secured its COP for its phased approach with a first phase of 270 megawatts (MW) planned to be combined with additional phases to a potential maximum 2.2 GW total (114 turbines). Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project and Plant databases can click here for the project report and click here for the plant profile.
The motion was submitted as part of a legal action in which the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) are the defendants. The case was brought forward by the mayor and city council of Ocean City, Maryland, against the DOI, BOEM and NMFS for approving the COP for U.S. Wind's project, which the federal government said would then be moot if its request for "voluntary remand with vacatur" is approved.
The BOEM is seeking to either remand or vacate the COP approval that the agency issued to U.S. Wind in December 2024 in order to re-evaluate the project and its COP approval process.
Project May have Already Been Unfinanceable with Current Federal Opposition
Although the project was potentially nearing a construction start, U.S. Wind had not yet secured final investment decision (FID) on the project, nor started construction. The recent DOI actions may be a moot point at this juncture -- or a nail in the coffin. The project was already unlikely to secure an FID and proceed to construction given this and many other roadblocks from the Trump administration.
Other Wind Projects at Risk
The DOI move against the U.S. Wind project fits a pattern of many actions the Trump administration has executed since taking office that either explicitly or implicitly hinder specific offshore wind projects and the industry as a whole sector.
The most recent and high-profile move was a stop-work order issued in late August from Trump's DOI against Orsted's (Fredericia, Denmark) $4.56 billion 704-MW Revolution Offshore Project & Interconnection. For more on that, see August 26, 2025, article - Backers Outraged over Stop-Work Order for Revolution Wind.
Revolution is 80% completed, with all offshore foundations installed and 70% of the turbines in place. Dozens of vessels and crew are idled at sea or port. The Danish company is suing the Trump administration, arguing that the administration lacked the legal authority for the decision and the stop-work order is "arbitrary and capricious."
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 more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
