Saving Seafood

VIRGINIA: First production turbine installed at Virginia offshore wind farm

February 4, 2026 — The first production wind turbine for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project was installed Jan. 27, less than two weeks after developer Dominion Energy won a temporary injunction against the Trump administration’s stop-work order.

Dominion’s 472’x184’ wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Charybdis, built at Seatrium’s AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, is the first Jones Act-compliant WTIV under the U.S. flag. After the project is about 71% completed and is expected to be sending power to the regional grid in the first quarter of 2026, according to Dominion.

In a Jan. 30 update Dominion reported that all 176 monopiles have been installed on the lease for the 2.6-gigawatt rated project, along with as 119 transition and 57 awaiting installation.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

Patrick Keliher Named 2025 Captain David H. Hart Award Recipient

February 4, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

At its Winter Meeting in Arlington, Virginia, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) presented Patrick Keliher, former Commissioner with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (ME DMR), the Captain David H. Hart Award for 2025 for his longstanding contributions to and exceptional leadership towards the sustainable management of marine resources along the Eastern Seaboard.

Since becoming Commissioner with ME DMR and Administrative Commissioner to the ASMFC in 2012, Pat has worked tirelessly to support marine fisheries stakeholders, both in Maine and along the Atlantic coast. His unwavering work ethic extended well beyond the Commission table. He is a consummate professional – always prepared and expertly engaged in every setting with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach. This approach earned him the respect of all those who have worked with him.

From 2017 – 2023, Pat served in a leadership position with the Commission, helping address a wide range of issues. One of the most unique and challenging times during his tenure was guiding the Commission through the pandemic. This was a time that truly reflected Pat’s steady leadership and deep commitment to the Commission. Throughout that period, he stayed closely connected with staff and fellow Commissioners, oversaw a seamless transition to virtual meetings, and consistently made decisions with the safety of Commissioners and staff in mind. Other notable accomplishments during this time include quick action by the states to end overfishing of Atlantic striped bass and implementation of ecological reference points to manage Atlantic menhaden.
On the home front, Pat has been credited with strengthening and sustaining Maine’s commercial fisheries through effective management, responsible policy, and improved enforcement. His collaborative effort to secure a six-year pause on federal whale regulations and to provide millions in federal funds for marine mammal research has benefited both Maine’s lobster industry and the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. During his tenure, DMR implemented enhanced management and enforcement measures to protect Maine’s valuable elver resource and fishery. His work to secure funding and establish strategic partnerships was instrumental in efforts to restore access to habitat for Maine’s sea-run fish species. Pat also oversaw the administration of state funding that has protected many vital working waterfront properties, and federal funds that provided much needed direct relief to industry and investments in critical infrastructure.
“I can’t think of a more deserving recipient of this honor,” said Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Carl Wilson. “Throughout his career, Pat has demonstrated a dedication to science-based decisions, effective policy, and strong enforcement necessary to protect our valuable marine resources and industries.”
“Pat’s strong advocacy for Maine’s marine resources and fisheries was exceeded only by his commitment to the people who make their living on the water,” said Maine Governor Janet Mills. “Maine’s coastal economy, environment, and communities are stronger because of his leadership, and this award reflects his many career accomplishments.”
Prior to joining DMR, Pat served as Executive Director of the Atlantic Salmon Commission and Executive Director of the New England States of the Coastal Conservation Association, Greater New England.
The Commission instituted the Hart Award in 1991 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding efforts to improve Atlantic coast marine fisheries. The Hart Award is named for one of the Commission’s longest serving members, who dedicated himself to the advancement and protection of marine fishery resources, Captain David H. Hart, from the State of New Jersey.

Dominion Energy and Vineyard Wind Reach Milestones as Work Resumes

February 2, 2026 — Within days of resuming work at Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project and Avangrid’s Vineyard Wind 1, both projects have marked key milestones. The projects argued they were at critical stages of construction in court and received preliminary injunctions to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing a stop-work order.

Dominion Energy provided a detailed update on the status of its project, reporting it has reached 71 percent completion and, critically, the first wind turbine generation was installed in January. The company’s massive wind turbine installation vessel, Charybdis (the only U.S.-flagged WTIV vessel), also began loading in December after a lengthy commissioning process and is deployed for the installations.

The presentation outlines that the project remains on track to generate its first power this quarter. Although after the delays due to the stop-work order from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, they have rescheduled completion to early 2027.

Read the full article at The Maritime Executive

MARYLAND: Maryland oyster hatchery faces federal funding cut

January 29, 2026 — In a potentially serious blow to oyster restoration efforts in Maryland, the Trump administration has slashed federal funding that supports the operation of the state-run oyster hatchery on the Eastern Shore.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is cutting nearly in half the $740,000 grant it has provided annually for spawning and rearing oysters at the Horn Point laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES).

The cut comes on the heels of the successful conclusion of a more than decade-long campaign to restore oysters in 10 Chesapeake Bay tributaries in Maryland and Virginia — an effort the state-federal Chesapeake Bay Program is now looking to expand. It also comes as Congress, in a rare show of bipartisanship, has increased rather than cut federal funding for Bay oyster restoration efforts.

The Horn Point hatchery, one of the largest on the East Coast, has played a central role in the restoration of oyster reefs in Maryland’s five tributaries. Its annual output of oyster larvae since 2020 has ranged from 400 million to nearly 2 billion.

The hatchery sells some of those larvae to private oyster farmers, but three-quarters of the newly spawned bivalves are set or attached to oyster shells and planted on the bottom of Bay tributaries targeted by the state for restoration.

Read the full article at the Bay Journal

VIRGINIA: Kiggans, Wittman seek answers after federal pause of offshore wind projects

January 29, 2026 — Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia Beach and Rob Wittman of Westmoreland joined seven other members of Congress in pressing the administration of President Donald Trump for answers after a federal decision to pause offshore wind development, including Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project.

In a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers called for greater transparency around the 90-day halt, which the Department of Interior said was prompted by national security concerns detailed in confidential reports.

“We respectfully request additional information on the analysis underlying the recent decision, including how radar interference, environmental tradeoffs, long-term subsidy exposure, workforce impacts, and broader national security considerations were assessed,” the letter read.

Read the full article at Virginia Mercury

VIRGINIA: First Towers and Turbines Installing for Virginia Offshore Wind Farm

January 23, 2026 — Just days after a U.S. District Court judge agreed to issue a temporary injunction to let work resume on Virginia’s offshore wind farm, work is underway with the first towers and wind turbines being installed. Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind is the largest project in the United States and is using the only U.S.-built wind turbine installation vessel.

Virginia’s Senator Tim Kaine reported the process on January 21 after having toured the Portsmouth Marine Terminal and received an update on the progress made on the wind farm project. He told local news outlet WAVY, “Number one of 176” had been installed.

The development is being hailed as a milestone on the project, which was expected to generate its first power early this year. It will continue commissioning in 2026 and will reach a rated capacity of 2.6 GW when finished. It is located at least 30 miles east of Virginia Beach.

Read the full article at the Maritime Executive

Federal judge rules Dominion Energy can resume construction on Virginia Beach offshore wind farm

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.”

Read the full article at WHRO

Judge in Virginia Hands Trump 3rd Setback This Week on Wind Farms

January 20, 2026 — President Trump’s efforts to stifle the offshore wind power industry suffered a third legal setback this week, after a federal judge ruled on Friday that an $11.2 billion wind farm off the coast of Virginia can resume construction.

The Interior Department last month ordered all work to stop on the Virginia wind farm and four other offshore wind projects under construction, citing unspecified national security concerns. The developers of the projects have all sued in various courts, arguing that the government failed to justify its actions and that any delays would cause irreparable harm to the companies.

So far, judges have sided with the companies. On Friday, Judge Jamar K. Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia issued a preliminary injunction that would allow the Virginia wind farm to continue construction while its developer, Dominion Energy, pursues its legal case against the stop-work order.

Separate federal judges this week have already issued preliminary injunctions that allowed two other projects — Revolution Wind, off Rhode Island and Empire Wind, off New York — to restart construction.

Read the full article at The New York Times

Trump’s offshore wind blockade suffers a third legal blow

January 20, 2026 — A federal judge on Friday blocked the Interior Department’s order halting construction of an offshore wind project off the coast of Virginia, marking the third time in a week that courts have stepped in to reverse the Trump administration’s anti-wind policies.

Judge Jamar Walker said in a hearing Friday before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia that the agency failed to provide sufficient reasoning for freezing work on Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. The Biden-appointed judge issued a preliminary injunction from the bench clearing the way for construction to restart while litigation remains ongoing.

The Dec. 22 order from Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management blocked construction on five offshore wind projects for 90 days along the Eastern Seaboard, citing emerging national security concerns. Along with Dominion Energy’s project, the order halted ongoing work on Empire Wind 1, Sunrise Wind, Revolution Wind and Vineyard Wind 1.

Read the full article at E&E News

VIRGINIA: Here’s what’s happening with the federal pause on Dominion Energy’s offshore wind farm in Virginia Beach

January 14, 2026 — Dominion is suing the Interior Department for the December order, which the utility calls “arbitrary and capricious.”

The Trump administration is continuing its campaign against the offshore wind industry, and Dominion Energy is now one of the targets.

The U.S. Interior Department last month issued a 90-day pause for work on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, as well as four others in New England. Officials cited national security risks “identified in recently completed classified reports.”

The $11 billion Virginia Beach project, which stretches about 27 to 44 miles off the Oceanfront, was expected to start delivering electricity to the grid within months and finish construction later this year.

“We stand ready to do what is necessary to get these vital electrons flowing as quickly as possible,” the utility stated in a December news release.

Dominion quickly sued the federal government, calling the stop-work order “arbitrary and capricious.” The first hearing in the case is set for Friday in Norfolk.

Read the full article at WHRO