Harnessing Nature’s Breath: The (Offshore) Wind Industry That Drives Green Power Forward
The offshore wind industry has been shaken up due to a pause on new leasing and permitting for new projects, but a significant amount of generating capacity remains in the development pipeline.
The offshore wind industry (OSW) in the United States carries on, despite a pause on federal leasing for new development and the initiation of “review” of both the existing leases for operational OSW facilities and the projects whose permitting process and consideration are ongoing.
The current situation for the industry conveys differing levels of offshore wind energy generating capacity currently in operation, under construction, and approved for construction, or those paused or postponed. 172 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity have been continuously the operational height since the South Fork Wind project became operational in 2024. Currently, there are approximately seven gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity under construction, with nearly five GW approved, over nine GW paused or postponed, and 1.5 GW cancelled.
This article covers the current situation and breaks each category of projects down by operative status, describing the state of each project therein.
I. Current Projects in Operation
There are presently three OSW projects in operation, totaling 172 MW of generating capacity. These three projects which have begun commercial operation in the United States remain operational.
The first completed (in 2016), and still operational, is Block Island Wind. This facility, developed and owned by the multinational energy company Ørsted, hosts five wind turbine generators (WTGs) off of Rhode Island and generates thirty MW annually.
The next completed (in 2020), and still operational, is the pilot project of Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (preceding the currently-under-review commercial project). This facility, developed in collaboration between Ørsted and the American utility company Dominion Energy, hosts two WTGs off of the Virginia coast and generates twelve MW annually.
The last completed (in 2024) and operational is South Fork Wind. This facility, developed and owned jointly by Ørsted and OSW developer Skyborn Renewables (whose parent company is the investment firm Global Infrastructure Partners), hosts twelve WTGs and generates 132 MW annually.
II. Projects Under Construction
There is currently five projects totaling approximately 7.1 GW of generating capacity under construction.
The first is Vineyard Wind, which started construction in 2021-22 and is developed and owned by the energy company Avangrid Renewables and the investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (through their joint venture, Vineyard Wind LLC). The project expects to host sixty-two WTGs, generate 806 MW annually, and deliver first power in 2026. However, this project has been plagued by a wind turbine blade that fractured and failed in July 2024. BOEM suspended Vineyard Wind’s operation for months while the problem was investigated and resolved, later lifting that order in January 2025 immediately prior to the Trump administration coming in. BOEM approved an amended Construct and Operations Plan for the project and allowed it to continue construction on the conditions of new safety requirements replacement of all wind turbine blades constructed in Quebec, Canada, like the fractured blade was; Vineyard Wind is now presently again under construction.
The second is Revolution Wind, which started construction in 2023 and is developed and owned by Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables. The project expects to host up to 65 WTGs, generate 704 MW annually, and deliver first power in or after 2026.
The third is the commercial project of Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, which started construction in 2023 and is developed and owned by Dominion Energy. Dominion’s adjacently-leased pilot project (as aforementioned, operational since 2020) informs the production of electricity from this commercial version. This project expects to host 176 WTGs, generate 2587.2 MW annually, and deliver first power in or after 2026.
The fourth is Sunrise Wind, which started construction in 2024 and is developed and owned by Ørsted. The project expects to host eighty-four WTGs, generate 924 MW annually, and deliver first power in or after 2026.
The fifth and currently final is Empire Wind 1 and 2, which started construction in 2024 and BOEM approved for construction in November 2023, is owned and developed by the multinational company Equinor. The projects expect to host 147 WTGs, generate 2.076 GW annually (total), deliver first power in 2026, and become commercially operational in 2027. Empire Wind 1 alone entails 810 MW of generating capacity. However, Equinor shelved Empire Wind 2 after the company (which partnered with BP for Empire Wind 2) terminated a key contract for Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Credits for the proposal in January 2024; the project may reappear for submission in future rounds of state-level solicitation and procurement. Construction is evidently progressing because Equinor has started placing contracts for the project.
III. Projects Approved, Awaiting Construction
There are four projects totaling approximately 4.8 GW of generating capacity approved for and currently awaiting construction and are not otherwise postponed.
The second and third are New England Wind 1 and 2 (1 followed by 2), which BOEM approved for construction in July 2024 and is developed and owned by Avangrid Renewables. The projects expects to host 129 WTGs, generate 2.6 GW annually, and deliver first power in 2029.
The third is the Maryland Offshore Wind Project, which BOEM approved for construction in December 2024 and is developed and owned by the company US Wind. The project expects to host 114 WTGs and generate 2.2 GW annually. Investment seems ongoing, as an initial ten percent of the $1.6 billion of capital expenditures involved with this project has been spent.
IV. Projects Delayed or Postponed
There are six projects totaling 9.345 GW of generating capacity approved for construction, but which have suffered delays or postponements.
One such project is Vineyard Northeast, also owned jointly by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (through subsidiary Vineyard Offshore), which was in the permitting process throughout 2024 with no word from BOEM. The projects expects to host 160 WTGs and have a generating capacity of up to 2.6 GW. The project was delayed after “Vineyard Offshore needed to pull back the project in December [2024] after a power-purchasing deal with Massachusetts and Connecticut fell through.””
A second such project is the Attentive Energy 2 Offshore Wind Energy Project, proposed by Attentive Energy LLC (whose parent company is TotalEnergies). Attentive Energy submitted a COP in September 2024 for the project involving generating 1.545 GW annually. However, TotalEnergies halted the projected two months later in November, with a prospective delay of four years.
Two more such projects are Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind 1 and 2 (or “Atlantic South”), owned jointly by Shell and EDF Renewables, which expects to host 197 WTGs and generation of 2.8 GW annually. Late in March 2025, Shell pulled out of the project (along with its investment, totaling about $1 billion), but EDF indicated it was committed to going through with it without mentioning a new completion date. Nonetheless, further delay may result from a Clean Air Act permit that was issued to the project being revoked in March as well.
Finally, two more such projects are South Coast Wind 1 and 2 (previously Mayflower Wind), jointly owned by EDP Renewables and energy company Engie. The project expects to have a generating capacity of 2.4 GW. This set of projects was the BOEM’s eleventh and most recent COP approval, happening in January 2025. Each company booked an impairment last week of $139 million each in February; they indicated the construction could be pushed back by up to four years, from 2025 to 2029.
V. Projects Cancelled
Finally, three projects totaling 1.5 GW of generating capacity, in terms of projects that were at some stage in the works, have been cancelled altogether.
The Ocean Wind 1 and 2 projects, both owned by Ørsted, received BOEM’s construction approval in June 2023, but Ørsted cancelled the project in October of the same year. The project was expected to host 98 WTGs and generate 1.1 GW annually. These projects have not explicitly been cancelled, but rather, Ørsted has “ceased development” on them without word as to their continuation at any point.
Another cancellation was Vineyard 2, a 400 MW extension to the Vineyard Wind 1 project. This was announced at the end of December 2024.
VI. Conclusion
The most recent change in presidential administration has immediately rocked the boat for the offshore wind industry, introducing political uncertainty on top of traditional development and project financing-related delays. A new project’s ability to get a foothold will be potentially improbable in the next several years because of the stated pause on all new OSW leasing and permitting; problems with permitting or approvals may also arise for projects both in development and even in operations because of the announced review of leases and permits.
Irrespective of setbacks, however, a total of more than 21.2 GW of offshore wind generating capacity remain in the development pipeline in the United States. Of prospective projects, the only one explicitly shelved and removed from development (for now) is the Equinor-owned Empire Wind 2 project. With nearly 7.1 GW actively under construction (about 8.36 GW including Empire Wind 2) and 4.8 GW awaiting it, the currently existing OSW generating capacity of 172 MW is set to not just increase, but outright skyrocket.
Kristoffer Svendsen is the Assistant Dean for Energy Law at George Washington University Law School and Patrick Seroogy is a J.D. candidate at George Washington University Law School.
Image: Shutterstock/fokke baarssen
Note: This article was slightly altered on April 9 to better reflect the wishes of the authors and to add more information.