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Washington challenges Maryland offshore wind farm permit in federal court

The US government has requested the judicial cancellation of the federal permit granted in 2024 for an offshore wind project, citing impacts on commercial fishing and maritime rescue operations.

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The United States federal government has filed a request in district court to cancel the approval granted to an offshore wind project located off the coast of Maryland. The current administration accuses former President Joe Biden’s administration of having underestimated the risks the project poses to search and rescue operations and commercial fisheries.

A multi-year permitting process under scrutiny

The federal permit issued in 2024 to the Maryland Offshore Wind Project, led by US Wind, followed several years of regulatory review. The project was expected to produce enough electricity to power approximately 718,000 households. However, according to the court filing, this output would come at the expense of established maritime uses, particularly the fishing and tourism sectors of the coastal city of Ocean City.

The legal action is part of a broader series of measures initiated by the current administration aimed at re-evaluating offshore renewable energy projects. These developments are often criticised for their reliance on public subsidies and their impact on electricity prices. The administration stated that the previous legal interpretation of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act — which granted wide discretion to offshore projects in federal waters — is no longer applicable and has been formally withdrawn this year.

Ongoing litigation and industry response

The motion was filed as part of a lawsuit brought by the mayor and city council of Ocean City, which challenges the project’s federal approval. City representatives have not commented publicly on this new development. In their original 2024 complaint, they argued that the turbine installations could harm local economic sectors tied to fishing and tourism.

US Wind, a subsidiary of Renexia — the renewable energy arm of Italian group Toto Holding — stated it would actively defend its permits in court. “After many years of analysis, several federal agencies issued final permits to the project,” said company spokesperson Nancy Sopko. “We intend to vigorously defend those permits in federal court.”

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