Connecticut and Rhode Island apply for a court order to reactivate Revolution Wind project
The Revolution Wind project, a 700-MW offshore wind farm set to supply energy to Connecticut and Rhode Island, has hit a roadblock as the Trump administration issued a stop work order. The project, which is 80% complete, is jointly owned by Ørsted and Global Infrastructure Partners.
The Trump administration asserts various alleged legal deficiencies underlying the federal government's leasing and permitting of wind projects, including the Revolution Wind project. The construction, initially scheduled to wrap up in 2026, is now at a standstill due to this order.
Ørsted, the Danish energy company, has announced a rights issue to raise $9.4 billion, citing the Trump news as a reason. The company has explained that a delay beyond September 22, 2025 could imperil the entire project and threaten unsustainable losses for the company.
The states of Connecticut and Rhode Island, which were eagerly anticipating the project's completion, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, requesting an injunction to lift the stop work order. They argue that Revolution Wind is 'real, fully permitted, and nearly complete,' with approximately 80% of the project finished, all offshore foundations installed, and around 70% of its turbines ready.
The supportive infrastructure for Revolution Wind is also far along. 90% of physical construction at the mainland interconnection site is 'substantially completed,' one of two offshore wind utility substations has been installed, and 84 out of 85 miles of utility export cable have been installed.
The Trump news today could potentially waste significant time and money spent by the states in identifying, selecting, and authorizing offshore wind projects. The executive order mandated a halt on new offshore wind construction and a review of existing construction.
In a related development, the Trump administration has also filed to revoke the construction and operations plan for the 2.2-GW Maryland Offshore Wind project owned by US Wind. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management identified errors in the weighing of certain statutory factors that led to the prior approval of the project. The person responsible for the revision of the approval for the Maryland Offshore Wind project is not explicitly named in the available sources, but the Trump administration and the Department of the Interior are involved in the review and suspension process as of 2025.
Eversource, the company that originally owned 50% of the Revolution Wind project, sold its stake last year. However, the company was placed on 'rating watch negative' by Fitch Ratings due to its remaining cost obligations to the endangered project.
As the election approaches, the future of the Revolution Wind project and other offshore wind projects remains uncertain. The Biden administration has expressed support for renewable energy and has the potential to reverse the Trump news decisions. The states and project owners will be closely watching the results of the election to see if the stop work orders will be lifted and the projects can proceed as planned.
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