Federal Army Corps Grants Permit To Vineyard Wind, Allowing Construction To Continue
JohnCarl McGrady •
The federal Army Corps of Engineers last week approved a request from the offshore wind farm Vineyard Wind to continue shipping turbine parts through New Bedford's hurricane barrier from the city's Marine Commerce Terminal.
The Army Corps’ approval, first reported by the New Bedford Light, marks the rare instance of the Trump administration issuing a permit to an offshore wind farm. The permit was first issued years ago under former President Joe Biden, but was set to expire at the end of the year. The extension will allow Vineyard Wind to continue transporting turbine parts through the barrier until June 2026.
Since returning to office last January, Trump has launched an unprecedented assault on offshore wind, reconsidering several permits, stopping projects already under construction, and stripping funding from related infrastructure projects.
But Vineyard Wind has been mostly unaffected by Trump’s barrage of executive orders, and now his administration has issued Vineyard Wind a permit that will allow the wind farm to continue construction without facing any additional hurdles.
One reason could be how far along the project is. Unlike most of the offshore wind farms Trump has targeted, Vineyard Wind is nearly finished with construction and is already generating power that is being delivered to the grid. That could make it more difficult for Trump to take action.
Trump’s campaign against offshore wind has also faced some legal backlash in recent weeks, including an order from a federal judge that struck down his blanket ban on new offshore and onshore wind farms.
U.S. District Court Judge Patti Saris ruled the executive order arbitrary and capricious, though the full effects of her decision are unclear. Even if the Trump administration does not appeal the decision, the ruling doesn’t require any agencies to issue permits. The federal government can still pursue a de facto pause on permitting and reject any permits it is ultimately instructed to decide on.