The Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for the SouthCoast Wind project was approved during the last week of the Biden Administration. That approval has been challenged by the Town and County of Nantucket. Ocean Wind, a joint venture of EDP Renewables (Portugal) and ENGIE (France), is the leaseholder.
As is the case for Maryland Wind, a court filing (attached) indicates that DOI is reconsidering the approval of the SouthCoast Wind COP. Construction has not begun on this project.
A further deferral of Federal Defendants’ responsive pleading deadline in this case is needed because Interior intends to reconsider its COP approval and will therefore be moving for a voluntary remand of that agency action by September 18, 2025.
Historically, State and local governments have tended to be aligned, either for or against offshore energy (primarily oil and gas) leasing. However, a new (offshore) world orderis emerging with local governments joining the new Administration in opposition to wind projects.
Most recently, and consistent with previous speculation, the Federal govt announced its intent to revoke approval of the Construction and Operations Plan for the US Wind project offshore Maryland and Delaware. (See the attached court filing.) This project is not yet in the construction phase.
Particularly noteworthy, as has been the case for other wind projects offshore Mid-Atlantic and New England states, is the alignment of Federal and local (coastal) govts in opposition to State policies.
Specifically, with regard to the US Wind project, the positions of State and local leaders couldn’t differ more:
Ocean City MD Town Manager Terry McGean:
“This is an extremely positive development in our fight against the irresponsible and costly US Wind project,”McGean said to WBOC on Monday. “We have stated all along that the approval of this project was fast and tracked without adequate public input and that approvals ignored significant risks to our economy, fishing industry, marine mammals, and the horseshoe crab. We are glad that our concerns are finally being taken seriously.”
“For the past eight years, Ocean City has voiced strong opposition to the proposed US Wind project. Unfortunately, we believe this project was fast-tracked and that our serious concerns have been largely ignored throughout the review process.“
“Canceling a project set to bring in $1 billion in investment, create thousands of good paying jobs in manufacturing, and generate more Maryland-made electrical supply is utterly shortsighted,” the Governor’s statement reads in part. “The President’s actions will directly lead to utility-rate hikes by taking off most promising ways for Maryland to meet its looming energy generation challenges.”
Such sharply divergent views are also evident in other coastal states. Offshore wind could be a factor in the upcoming gubernatorial race in NJ. The pro-wind energy candidate has the support of large environmental NGOs, while her opponent is supported by grass roots environmental groups that strongly oppose wind projects.
“Ørsted is evaluating all options to resolve the matter expeditiously. This includes engagement with relevant permitting agencies for any necessary clarification or resolution as well as through potential legal proceedings, with the aim being to proceed with continued project construction towards COD in the second half of 2026.”
Eloquent eulogy by DCOR (platform operator) CEO Alan Templeton: “Last Sunday, August 10, I joined a small group of DCOR personnel on Platform Esther to witness her final moments of operation. At exactly 3:00 p.m., we pressed the ESD on the production deck, and one by one, the sounds of compressors and pumps faded until the platform fell silent — a profound and bittersweet moment in California’s energy history.
For over half a century, Esther stood off the coast of Orange County, first installed in the early 1960s as one of California’s iconic man-made oil islands. She blended into the horizon while quietly producing oil and gas, surviving storms, and later being rebuilt in 1985 into the platform we know today. More than just steel and pilings, Esther was a proving ground for innovation, a dependable asset, and a source of pride for the men and women who worked safely on her decks.
While she has now been permanently shut in, her legacy remains — a testament to the ingenuity, resilience, and dedication that have defined California’s offshore industry for generations.“
Litigation prematurely ended production at Esther, which would have had an estimated 15 more years of operative life. The attached settlement agreement, shared by John Smith, ends a dispute between the State Lands Commission and DCOR over repurposing a pipeline to transport oil from state Platform Eva to Federal Platform Edith (diagram above).
In exchange for relinquishing its mineral rights and decommissioning Platform Esther, the settlement grants DCOR a $10 million royalty credit on future oil produced from Platform Eva. This credit is significantly less than the value of remaining production from Esther.
Platform Esther, is one of three remaining oil production platforms in California state waters.
On August 11, 2025, TMC USA received notice of full compliance from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on its exploration applications, and reconfirmation that TMC USA has priority right over both exploration areas
Both applications entered the certification stage in late July, which we expect to be approximately 100 days
In light of recent U.S. regulatory developments, TMC expects to commence commercial production from the NORI-D Area in the fourth quarter of 2027 if we receive a commercial permit before scaling to an average annual production rate of 10.8 million tonnes of wet nodules per annum (Mtpa) at steady state (2031 through 2043) production, with an expected 18-year life of mine (LOM);
Meanwhile, after missing deadlines in 2020 and 2023, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) again failed to deliver a Mining Code as communicated in their 2023 roadmap during the second part of their 30th session in July 2025. No new roadmap or new target date for adopting the final Mining Code has been agreed. The next ISA meeting is scheduled for March 2026. (Hence the importance of direct permitting through the US/NOAA.)
Trinidad’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissesar: “Trinidad will not wait for the end of any energy era,” she said. “Our principle is simple: investment goes where it is welcomed and stays where it is well treated.”
The PM of a country with an oil production history that predates the Drake well in Pennsylvania leaves no doubt about her support for deepwater development. Her candid and clear messaging is most refreshing.
Consistent with her policy guidance, T&T signed a Production Sharing Contract with Exxon for a massive deepwater tract (Block Trinidad and Tobago Ultra Deep 1, map below). Per Ms. Persad Bissessar:
“Today’s signing underscores our government’s commitment to strengthening national energy security and to unlocking the full value of our hydrocarbon resources through discipline, policy, competitive terms and trusted partnerships.”
Although another Guyana is unlikely, the enormous lease block presents a great opportunity for Exxon. The consolidated block spans 7,765 square kilometers in the Eastern Tobago Basin in water depths exceeding 2,000 meters. By comparison, Trinidad and Tobago’s total surface area is about 5,128 square kilometers and a typical Gulf of America lease block is only 23 sq km. (Think about that! The size of US offshore lease blocks, which are the world’s smallest, needs to be reconsidered.)
Based on press reports, Exxon will carry out seismic acquisition within 12 months, followed by geological and geophysical studies, and drill up to 2 exploratory wells during the initial phases of the contract. (Reports differ as to whether one of those wells is mandatory, but presumably that won’t be an issue.)
Does this impressive deal reduce the likelihood that America’s largest oil company, which has essentially abandoned the Gulf of America except for its (fading?) carbon disposal ambitions, will participate in the upcoming Gulf lease sale? Politically, failure to participate would not seem to be very astute given the Administration’s promotion of domestic production and energy dominance.
BOEM tweet (12/8/2023):Offshore wind is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a new clean energy industry, tackle the climate crisis, and create good-paying jobs, while ensuring economic opportunities for all communities.BOEM tweet (7/31/2025): America’s offshore energy resources are powering the nation. In FY2024 that looks like 668M barrels of oil, 700B cubic feet of natural gasBSEE 2023 logoBSEE 2025 logo
BTW, the new BSEE logo appears to have been influenced by the masterpiece Rig at Sunset 👍 😉
A new court filing (attached) informs that the Dept. of the Interior is reconsidering the Construction & Operations Plan (COP) approval for US Wind’s Maryland Offshore Wind (“MarWin”) Project (maps above). That approval is the subject of litigation filed by Ocean City MD and others.
The key section of the Federal government’s filing is pasted below.
An extension in this case is necessary as Interior intends to reconsider its COP approval and move in the District of Maryland—the first-filed case—for voluntary remand of that agency action. See, e.g., Util. Solid Waste Activities Grp. v. EPA, 901 F.3d 414, 436 (D.C.Cir. 2018) (recognizing that administrative agencies have the authority to reconsider their decisions). The outcome of Interior’s reconsideration has the potential to affect the Plaintiff’s claims in this case.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 