Overview

• U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth granted a preliminary injunction on Sept. 22, calling the Interior Department’s stop‑work order “the height of arbitrary and capricious” action.
• The 704 MW project is about 80% complete, expected to power roughly 350,000 homes, with Ørsted saying around $5 billion has been spent or committed.
• Lamberth cited irreparable harm, noting estimated losses of about $2–$2.3 million per day and a narrow window to use specialized installation vessels that are unavailable after December.
• Federal attorneys argued the developer failed to meet certain permit conditions tied to coordination with the Navy, Defense and NOAA, assertions the company disputes.
• Interior said construction may proceed while BOEM continues its review of possible national‑security and other impacts, and further litigation or appeals remain possible.