January 20, 2026 — A judge in Norfolk on Friday ruled in favor of Dominion Energy, allowing the utility to restart construction on its offshore wind project after the federal government halted it late last year.
The Trump administration cited recently uncovered risks to national security when it issued a 90-day stop-work order on Dec. 22.
But U.S. District Court Judge Jamar Walker said the order, which applied to five wind projects along the East Coast, did not outline how construction on the Virginia project specifically poses a risk to national security.
He said an extended pause on the project would cause irreparable harm to Dominion, which says it’s losing $5 million per day during the stoppage.
Walker granted Dominion a preliminary injunction, which allows the company to resume construction while the case proceeds in court.
The $11 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, or CVOW, stretches about 27 to 44 miles off the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. It’s expected to start delivering electricity to the grid soon and finish construction later this year. Dominion already spent $9 billion on the project, which would become the nation’s largest commercial offshore wind farm.
“Our team will now focus on safely restarting work to ensure CVOW begins delivery of critical energy in just weeks,” the utility said in a statement following the ruling. “While our legal challenge proceeds, we will continue seeking a durable resolution of this matter through cooperation with the federal government.”