SouthCoast Wind Court and Permit Process

by Frank Haggerty

yesterday

Massachusetts and Rhode Island 
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On November 4, 2025, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Trump administration may reconsider the approval of the SouthCoast Wind project. This decision sends the project's construction and operations plan back to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for re-evaluation.
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In a separate case on November 18, 2025, a federal judge in Boston, Massachusetts, heard a second case questioning whether the Trump administration could pause offshore wind projects. This case has not been decided. 
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The November 18 lawsuit, brought by several states including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, aims to block the administration's directive that has stalled the SouthCoast Wind project and the broader offshore wind industry. Although a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Trump administration can reconsider the approval of the SouthCoast wind project..............
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At the state level, SouthCoast Wind still lacks a permit from the Rhode Island Coastal Zone Management Council, File # 2023-02-090. 
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The permit is still under review, and a hearing date will be posted. The project is constructing two new high-voltage direct current submarine cable bundles within Rhode Island state waters through the town of Portsmouth, RI, into Massachusetts waters.  
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  SouthCoast  Wind RI Permit link:  https://www.crmc.ri.gov/applicationnotices/2023-02-090.pdf
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