NANTUCKET, Mass. — A coalition of environmental advocates, tribal leaders, and fishing industry groups has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the approval of two offshore wind projects off the coast of New England, alleging violations of multiple federal laws.
The lawsuit, filed on May 22 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., claims the Departments of Interior and Commerce, along with their sub-agencies—the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)—broke five federal statutes in approving the New England Wind 1 and 2 projects. Plaintiffs argue that the approvals violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Administrative Procedure Act.
Leading the lawsuit is ACK For Whales, a grassroots environmental group based in Nantucket. The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Green Oceans, and a coalition of charter fishing associations from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York have joined the legal challenge. Several individual plaintiffs, including fishermen, a lobsterman, and a tribal leader, are also part of the suit.
“This administration fast-tracked these wind projects, ignoring legal safeguards and the damage to marine life, coastal industries, and our tribal heritage,” said Vallorie Oliver, president of ACK For Whales. “They prioritized turbine construction over everything else.”
New England Wind 1 is a planned 791-megawatt wind farm expected to begin construction later this year, with power delivery to Massachusetts projected by 2029. New England Wind 2, a 1,000-megawatt project, has yet to secure a buyer for its electricity. Both projects are among 11 offshore wind farms that received full federal permitting before 2017.
Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe, said the projects threaten sacred tribal connections to land and sea. “This is more than just a development dispute—it’s a matter of cultural and spiritual survival,” she said.
Local fishermen echoed concerns about lost access to traditional fishing grounds and environmental impacts. “We’re losing our waters to foreign-owned wind companies that are destroying sustainable fisheries,” said Nantucket lobsterman Danny Pronk.
The plaintiffs are seeking declaratory relief from the court and an injunction to halt further progress on the projects. Earlier this year, ACK For Whales also petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to revoke the projects’ permits, citing concerns over air pollution from construction and maintenance activities.
Thomas Stavola Jr., counsel for ACK For Whales, said the legal and environmental failings of the New England Wind projects reflect broader problems with federal offshore wind approvals. “Critical data related to marine mammal impacts is routinely ignored,” he said.
The case adds to growing scrutiny of offshore wind development along the East Coast, as tensions rise between clean energy goals and coastal community concerns.
