Top 10 Offshore Wind Developers, RWE’s 6.9 GW Win, and 5 US Projects Restarted (2024-2026)

The global offshore wind industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience, successfully navigating severe political and legal headwinds in the United States while continuing a robust expansion in Europe and Asia. The pivotal event was the rapid reversal of stop-work orders on five major U.S. projects in early 2026, which secured nearly 6 GW of capacity and affirmed the legal durability of federal leases against executive opposition. This legal victory, combined with massive new auction wins in Europe—led by RWE’s record 6.9 GW procurement in the UK—and the commissioning of gigawatt-scale projects in Taiwan, has solidified the active pipelines of the world’s leading developers. The dominant theme for the industry is a transition from policy-driven optimism to proven resilience, with a new focus on de-risking investments and managing execution in a complex political and economic environment.

U.S. Projects Overcome Political Hurdles

In a critical test for the U.S. offshore wind market, a series of legal challenges in late 2025 and early 2026 ultimately strengthened the industry’s position. On December 22, 2025, the Trump administration issued stop-work orders for five major offshore wind farms, citing national security concerns. However, by early February 2026, federal courts had granted preliminary injunctions for all five projects, allowing construction to resume. This legal battle confirmed the sector’s standing and de-risked the development pipeline, though not without cost; Dominion Energy reported a $228 million cost increase for its project due to the suspension.

• Project: Sunrise Wind
• Developer(s): Ørsted, Eversource
• Capacity: 924 MW
• Status: Injunction granted on February 2, 2026, allowing construction to resume.
• Source: Canary Media

• Project: Vineyard Wind 1
• Developer(s): Avangrid (Iberdrola), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
• Capacity: 800 MW
• Status: Injunction granted on January 27, 2026; project had delivered first power in August 2024.
• Source: New Bedford Light

• Project: Empire Wind 1
• Developer(s): Equinor
• Capacity: 816 MW
• Status: Injunction granted on January 16, 2026, allowing construction to resume.
• Source: News 10

• Project: Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW)
• Developer(s): Dominion Energy
• Capacity: 2, 600 MW
• Status: Injunction granted on January 16, 2026; project was over 70% complete by February 2026.
• Source: Fortune

• Project: Revolution Wind
• Developer(s): Ørsted, Eversource
• Capacity: 704 MW
• Status: Injunction granted on January 12, 2026, allowing construction to resume.
• Source: CT Examiner

Map Shows US Wind Projects Resuming Construction

This map pinpoints the East Coast offshore wind projects that resumed construction in early 2026. The visual directly corresponds to the article’s discussion of legal injunctions allowing projects like Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind to proceed.

(Source: Aegir Insights)

Global Grid Connections and Commissioning

While the U.S. navigated legal challenges, other global markets saw significant capacity come online, pushing global installed offshore wind to 83 GW by the end of 2024. Key projects in Asia and Europe reached full operational status, underscoring the industry’s continued momentum.

• Project/Region: Germany
• Capacity: 6, 543 MW
• Status: Maximum feed-in capacity measured on December 30, 2025.
• Source: Offshore Wind.biz

• Project: Yunlin Wind Farm (Taiwan)
• Developer(s): Total Energies & Partners
• Capacity: 640 MW
• Status: Inaugurated and fully operational on March 4, 2025.
• Source: Total Energies

• Project: South Fork Wind (USA)
• Developer(s): Ørsted, Eversource
• Capacity: 132 MW
• Status: Delivered first power to the grid on August 2, 2024.
• Source: NREL

• Project: Greater Changhua 1 & 2 a (Taiwan)
• Developer(s): Ørsted
• Capacity: 900 MW
• Status: Fully grid-connected and operational on July 23, 2024.
• Source: Modern Power Systems

Table: Key Offshore Wind Project Developments (2024-2026)

6 GW of US Capacity Secured, Offshore Wind Project Legal Wins

The successful legal defense of five major U.S. projects represents a watershed moment for industry adoption in North America. By securing nearly 6 GW of capacity, developers like Ørsted, Equinor, and Dominion Energy did more than just restart construction; they established a crucial legal precedent. The court rulings affirmed that federal leases and state-level power purchase agreements are durable contracts that can withstand political challenges. This outcome significantly de-risks the U.S. market for investors and lenders, providing the confidence needed to unlock capital for a sector that has been hampered by regulatory uncertainty. The ability to enforce these agreements is fundamental to the industry’s bankability and long-term expansion beyond the initial wave of projects.

Map Details Key US Offshore Wind Projects

This map visualizes the status of major US offshore wind projects as “under construction” in early 2026. It provides geographic context for the nearly 6 GW of capacity secured through recent legal victories.

(Source: IEEFA)

US vs. Europe, RWE’s Offshore Wind Development

The geographic landscape of offshore wind is characterized by distinct regional dynamics. Europe, particularly the UK and Germany, remains the most mature and aggressive market. This is highlighted by RWE’s dominant 6.9 GW win in the UK’s January 2026 auction, a move that secures a massive forward pipeline and solidifies its leadership position. This contrasts with the U.S. market, which, despite its large potential, has been defined by a stop-start pattern of progress due to political and legal challenges. While the recent court victories provide stability, the experience has led some developers, like Total Energies, to pivot, accepting a $1 billion cancellation payment for some U.S. projects while advancing assets in more predictable regions. Meanwhile, Asia is cementing its role as a key growth hub, with Taiwan leading the way through the successful commissioning of large-scale farms by global players like Ørsted and Total Energies.

Europe Led Global Offshore Wind Development in 2025

This chart shows that Europe led the world in Final Investment Decisions (FID) for offshore wind projects in 2025. This data supports the section’s argument that Europe remains the most mature and aggressive market.

(Source: Aegir Insights)

Floating Wind Advancements, Mainstream’s 1.1 GW Korean Project

While most of the active pipeline consists of fixed-bottom technology, recent developments signal the approaching commercialization of floating offshore wind. The majority of projects in construction, such as the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind farm, utilize established fixed-bottom foundations, proving the technology’s maturity at an immense scale. However, a critical milestone for the next wave of innovation was achieved in October 2024 when a partnership between Mainstream Renewable Power and Ocean Winds secured a grid connection for a 1.1 GW floating offshore wind project in South Korea. This is one of the first gigawatt-scale floating wind projects to achieve such a milestone, moving the technology from the demonstration phase toward large-scale commercial deployment. It indicates that developers are actively preparing to unlock deep-water sites previously inaccessible to fixed-bottom turbines.

Map Shows Coastal Virginia Wind Farm Status

This map details the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, which is under construction. The chart illustrates the “immense scale” of the fixed-bottom technology mentioned in the text as a contrast to emerging floating wind.

(Source: IEEFA)

Equinor’s US Strategy Post-Injunction Project Execution (2026)

The critical strategic focus for 2026 shifts from legal battles to project execution and supply chain resilience. The primary uncertainty is no longer if projects will proceed, but how developers will manage the financial and logistical fallout from delays to bring capacity online efficiently. Developers must now demonstrate they can absorb cost overruns, like the $228 million increase reported by Dominion Energy, and navigate strained supply chains to meet revised construction timelines.

• A key signal to watch is the construction progress of the five restarted U.S. projects. Dominion’s report that its CVOW project was over 70% complete by February 2026 provides an early positive indicator of execution capability post-injunction.
• Another critical trend is the strategic reallocation of capital based on perceived political risk. Total Energies’ decision to accept a $1 billion U.S. project cancellation fee while commissioning its 640 MW Yunlin farm in Taiwan shows a calculated pivot toward markets with greater regulatory stability.
• Finally, watch for major investments in enabling infrastructure. The North Sea Summit’s “Investment Pact” to mobilize €1 trillion for grid and supply chain development is a direct response to the next systemic bottleneck facing the industry as it scales to meet ambitious targets.

The questions your competitors are already asking

This report covers one angle of the offshore wind developer landscape, focusing on project pipeline resilience and market leadership. The questions that matter most depend on your work.

• Which developers are gaining or losing ground in the offshore wind market after the 2025-2026 project cancellations and restarts?
• What is the actual status of the 5 U.S. offshore wind projects that restarted after the 2026 court injunctions?
• Ørsted and RWE investments. Are their key U.S. and UK projects on track for their 2025-2026 grid connection targets?

This report does not answer these. Enki Brief Pro does.

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