‘Bizarre’ and ‘unlawful’: States and Ørsted challenge Revolution Wind freeze

September 04, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Clare Fieseler
www.canarymedia.com
Canary Media Renewables_Storage Raw Data
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Summary

The Trump administration’s latest attack on an in-progress offshore wind project is now being challenged in court. Two lawsuits announced Thursday — one brought by the wind farm’s developers, the other by Rhode Island and Connecticut — seek immediate relief from a federal stop-work order that froze construction of…

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‘Bizarre’ and​‘unlawful’: States and Ørsted challenge Revolution Wind freeze

Trump halted the huge, nearly complete offshore wind project two weeks ago. Rhode Island, Connecticut, and its developer want courts to block that decision.

ByClare Fieseler
4 September 2025

  • Link copied to clipboard
    Workers on a large yellow cylinder in front of ocean water
    The 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project under construction off the coast of Rhode Island. (Revolution Wind)
    The Trump administration’s latest attack on an in-progress offshore wind project is now being challenged in court. Two lawsuits announced Thursday —one brought by the wind farm’s developers, the other by Rhode Island and Connecticut —seek immediate relief from afederal stop-work orderthat froze construction of Revolution Windtwo weeksago.
    The developers, Danish energy giant Ørsted and investment firm Global Infrastructure Partners,filed acomplaint Thursday morningin the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, requesting apreliminary injunction that would allow Revolution Wind’s offshore construction to resume. The65-turbine project being built15miles from Rhode Island’s coastline is80% completed.
    Hours later, attorneys general from both Rhode Island and Connecticut announced aseparate lawsuitagainst the Trump administration, asking the court to declare the construction halt unlawful —and overturn it.
    If allowed to proceed, the project would generate enough carbon-free electricity to power more than350,000households across the two states. Should President Donald Trump tank the development, it wouldbe adisaster for New England’s grid.
    The project was set to come online next year, and New England’s grid operator had already factored its704megawatts into its plans. Delaying delivery of that power on such short notice​“will increase risks to reliability,”ISONew England warned in astatement last week, adding that the hold-up could also increase utility bills and discourage future investment.New England governors,labor representatives, andeven local fishermenhave also demanded Trump overturn his decision.
    “Does this sound like afederal government that is prioritizing the American people? This is bizarre, this is unlawful, this is potentially devastating, and we won’t stand by and watch it happen,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha in astatement.
  • ### Trump’s war on offshore wind is somehow getting worse
  • ### Halting Revolution Wind could be adisaster for New England’s grid
  • ### ‘It’s madness’: Trump-voting fishermen oppose Revolution Windhalt

    The lawsuit comes as the Trump administration steps up its already hostile campaign against offshore wind. There’s new chaos almost daily.
    Since ordering Revolution Wind to stop construction in late August, the administration has filed documents with federal courts signaling it intends to revoke permits for projectsnear MarylandandMassachusetts. The Transportation Departmentclawed back $679million in federal fundingfor infrastructure supporting offshore wind. And White House officials are reportedlydirecting awide range of agencies— including unrelated departments like Health and Human Services —to seek out reasons to cancel projects already underway.
    In choosing litigation over negotiation, the moves made on Thursday mark ashift in how the wind industry is responding to the U.S. government’s new war on the energy resource.
    When the Interior Department stopped New York’s Empire Wind project in April, developer Equinor opted not to take the Trump administration to court —even as its losses rose to nearly $1billion. Instead, the firm and diplomats from its home country and majority shareholder Norway lobbied the government to overturn its decision. In May, the Trump administrationreversed course, claiming that it had struck adeal with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to allow gas pipelines in the state. Hochul’s office denies any such deal wasmade.
    In both instances, the Trump administration used vague and dubious justifications for the stop-work orders. For Revolution Wind, the Interior Department cited​“national security” concerns that aretired Navy commander called​“specious.” For Empire Wind, it pointed to amysterious reportthat officialsblacked out entirelyon afederal website andstill refuse to sharewith the public.
    Ørsted and others are now embarking on alegal battle that could determine not only the fate of Revolution Wind, but whether amore aggressive response is acheaper and better way to push back onTrump’s always-escalating crusadeagainst​“windmills.”
  • Offshore wind
  • Policy&regulation
  • Wind
  • Northeast
    Clare Fieseler, PhD, is a reporter at Canary Media covering offshore wind.
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