The Trump administration can’t continue to keep work paused on a major offshore wind farm for Rhode Island and Connecticut while it reviews its national security concerns, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Work on the nearly completed Revolution Wind project has been paused since Aug. 22 when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a stop work order for what it said were national security concerns. It did not specify those concerns at the time. Both the developer and the two states sued in federal courts.
Danish energy company Orsted and its joint venture partner Skyborn Renewables sought a preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., that would allow them to move forward with the project.
Judge Royce Lamberth held a hearing on that request Monday. Lamberth said he considered how Revolution Wind has relied on its federal approval, the delays are costing $2.3 million a day and if the project can’t meet deadlines, the entire enterprise could collapse. After December, the specialized ship needed to complete the project won’t be available until at least 2028, he said. More than 1,000 people have been working on the wind farm, which is 80% complete.
“There is no question in my mind of irreparable harm to the plaintiffs,” Lamberth said, as he granted the motion for the preliminary injunction.
“This is a major win for Connecticut workers and for Connecticut families who need this project on track now so it can start to drive down our unaffordable energy bills. The court today unequivocally affirmed what we all have seen since this baseless stop work order was first issued. The Trump Administration’s erratic action was the height of arbitrary and capricious, and failed to satisfy any statutory provisions needed to halt work on a fully approved and nearly complete project. It was not a close call,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.
“The Trump Administration should see the writing on the wall with this decision and drop its defense of their indefensible actions. Every day that this project is stymied is a day of lost employment, another day of unaffordable energy costs, and another day burning fossil fuels when American-made clean energy is within reach.”
The Interior Department has said that the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
Revolution Wind is supposed to be Rhode Island’s and Connecticut’s first, large offshore wind farm, capable of providing about 2.5% of the region’s electricity needs.
Revolution Wind spokesperson Meaghan Wims said “Revolution Wind will continue to seek to work collaboratively with the US Administration and other stakeholders toward a prompt resolution.
“Revolution Wind will resume impacted construction work as soon as possible, with safety as the top priority. Ørsted’s subsidiary Revolution Wind, a 50/50 joint venture with Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables, is constructing the Revolution Wind offshore wind project.”
Orsted began construction in 2024 about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of the Rhode Island coast. It says in its complaint that about $5 billion has been spent or committed, and it expects more than $1 billion in costs if the project is canceled. Rhode Island is already home to one offshore wind farm, the five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said, in a statement, “The Trump Administration offered no credible facts— not a shred of evidence— to support a continued stop work order that deprives thousands of workers of jobs and Connecticut consumers of more affordable energy. None of the government’s trumped-up arguments have factual or legal weight.
“While I am pleased with today’s ruling, construction should be permanently permitted to go forward, and workers should be allowed back to the site. The Trump Administration’s irresponsible pandering to the fossil fuel industry cannot be permitted to persist in wasting taxpayer and consumer dollars,” Blumenthal said.
Tong said the project is 15 nautical miles off the coast of Rhode Island, and it is “expected to deliver enough electricity to the New England grid to power 350,000 homes, or 2.5 percent of the region’s electricity supply beginning in 2026.
“Revolution Wind is projected to save Connecticut and Rhode Island ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars over 20 years. The Revolution Wind project supports over 2,500 jobs nationwide in the construction, operations, shipbuilding and manufacturing sectors, including over 1,000 union construction jobs. The project has been vetted and approved through every layer of the federal and state regulatory process and is supported by binding contracts and legal mandates. Construction is nearly complete,” Tong said in a statement.
Gov. Ned Lamont said, “I have always said that Connecticut is committed to ensuring that our electric grid is reliable, resilient and that our energy costs become more affordable. Offshore wind and other renewables are central to that effort, but it must be complemented by a diverse mix of resources, including nuclear power, natural gas, hydropower, and other technologies.
“Doing so will also help us attract major economic development projects that will offer economic security for American workers and transform communities as we move to a 21st century economy. Today’s ruling allowing Revolution Wind to resume work is extremely encouraging for workers and our energy future. We will continue to engage with the federal government on a durable path forward for this project and on shared energy priorities.”
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
