The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a legal challenge of the Vineyard Wind project lodged by a group of Nantucket residents. 

The country’s highest court released its list of cases for the upcoming session on Monday, and the justices declined to hear the Nantucket case over the federal approvals process for the 62-turbine wind farm. 

The Supreme Court gets about 7,000 requests to review cases every year, but only takes up about 100 complaints. Nantucket Residents Against Turbines, also known as ACK For Whales, petitioned the court in September, saying that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management disregarded the Endangered Species Act and other regulations when it approved the now under construction wind farm. 

The U.S. Supreme Court, as in most cases, offered no comment or reason for why it did not take up the Nantucket challenge. 

This is one of several challenges that Vineyard Wind has now weathered since it was approved in 2021. In May 2023, the U.S District Court in Boston rejected the Nantucket group’s claims that the project was endangering the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. 

ACK For Whales then appealed that ruling to the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals. That court denied the appeal in April 2024, prompting the group’s request to the Supreme Court. 

Craig Gilvarg, a spokesperson for Vineyard Wind, declined to comment on the court's decision. 

Despite the setback, ACK For Whales plans to continue fighting against offshore wind turbines planned for south of the Vineyard and Nantucket. In a statement Monday, the group said it had planned to sue the Department of Interior and other federal agencies over the New England Wind project. 

“The new litigation is broader in scope than the suit previously filed against Vineyard Wind and seeks to halt and preclude construction by New England Wind of offshore wind turbines,” the group said in a statement. 

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the construction plan for New England Wind in July 2024. The project is about 20 miles south of the Vineyard, and could have up to 129 wind turbines. 

The project’s parent company is Avangrid, which is also one of the backers of Vineyard Wind. 

Vallorie Oliver, the president of ACK For Whales, hoped the incoming Trump administration would stay true to campaign promises of fighting back against offshore wind energy. 

“We can’t figure out why the government keeps giving away the store to foreign energy companies like Avangrid,” Ms. Oliver said. “We’re a non-partisan organization, we don’t do politics, but we hope Mr. Trump keeps his word and ends this madness on Day One of his Administration.”