A federal judge has lifted a stop-work order on Revolution Wind, handing a rare victory to the U.S. offshore wind industry amid the Trump administration’s relentless effort to torpedo it.
Judge Royce Lamberth issued the directive Sept. 22 in response to Revolution Wind LLC’s Sept. 4 complaint in U.S. District Court for D.C. (1:25-cv-02999).
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management slapped the stop-work order on Revolution Wind on Aug. 22, offering vague references to threats to national security and potential interference with reasonable uses of territorial waters.
Revolution in its counterclaim said the order was arbitrary and capricious, violated the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment and is beyond statutory authority.
On Sept. 22, Lamberth granted Revolution’s request for a stay and injunction, writing: “Revolution Wind has demonstrated likelihood of success on the merits of its underlying claims, it is likely to suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction, the balance of the equities is in its favor, and maintaining the status quo by granting the injunction is in the public interest.”
Offshore wind construction is extremely expensive. The idle month likely has cost Revolution tens of millions of dollars and potentially set up a series of future costs, such as extended vessel charters due to the delay.
Later Sept. 22, Revolution Wind said it would resume construction work as soon as possible. It said its lawsuit challenging the stop-work order will progress, but also said it would continue to seek collaboration with the Trump administration and other stakeholders to find a resolution.
Revolution Wind is a 50-50 joint venture of Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables through their subsidiary, Revolution Wind LLC.
The project has its roots in a September 2013 federal auction of a seabed lease south of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. After years of planning and review, BOEM issued a record of decision in favor of Revolution in August 2023 and approved its construction and operations plan in November 2023. Construction was approximately 80% complete when halted, and commercial operation had been targeted for 2026.
The project is designed to produce a maximum of 704 MW of electricity; Rhode Island and Connecticut have agreed to take 400 MW and 304 MW, respectively.
Trump launched his attack on offshore wind power hours after his second inauguration, and his administration soon commenced a thorough and effective effort to block development. However, most of the measures have been directed at early-stage projects, or later-stage projects that have received BOEM approvals but have not yet begun construction.
The five projects now under construction have not been targeted as clearly. An April stop-work order against Empire Wind was widely seen as an attempt to muscle through two natural gas pipeline proposals, and BOEM allowed work to resume in May after New York agreed to consider the pipeline plans.
If the Trump administration has an ulterior motive for stopping work on Revolution Wind, it has not surfaced.
BOEM did not immediately respond to the Sept. 22 injunction or indicate what its next move would be.
But however fleeting the court victory may turn out to be, it drew cheers from national trade group Oceantic Network: “Today’s decision allowing work to resume on Revolution Wind is welcome news for the hundreds of skilled workers who can now return to their jobs while the legal process continues. Revolution Wind is critical to securing New England’s electric grid, lowering energy costs for businesses and families, strengthening the local supply chain, and achieving energy independence. This Made in America energy project is putting Americans to work building reliable, affordable power to communities across New England that desperately need it.”
