A federal judge has cleared the way for work to resume on Revolution Wind, a nearly complete offshore project that will deliver power to Rhode Island and Connecticut, after the Trump administration tried to halt construction over unstated national-security concerns.
At a Glance
- Senior Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the government failed to justify a full construction freeze.
- Revolution Wind is 90% built and weeks from feeding electricity into the grid.
- The developer says the pause costs $1.4 million per day.
- Why it matters: The decision keeps the East Coast’s largest pending wind farm on track and sets an early courtroom test for the administration’s effort to block offshore wind.
The administration issued a stop-work order on Dec. 22, covering five East Coast projects, but offered no public details about the security threat. At Monday’s hearing in Washington, D.C., Judge Lamberth said the government had not shown why less-drastic safeguards could not protect national interests while construction moved forward.
Revolution Wind received all required federal permits under the prior administration and is being built by Orsted and Skyborn Renewables. When finished, its turbines will generate enough electricity for Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Courtroom Showdown
Justice Department attorney Peter Torstensen told the court that classified materials reveal new risks and that national security must override developer concerns.
Janice Schneider, counsel for Revolution Wind, countered that the government has refused to share even unclassified summaries with company experts who hold security clearances. She warned that every lost day adds $1.4 million in costs and that a specialized turbine-installation vessel must finish its work before its contract expires in February.
“We do think that this court should be very skeptical of the government’s true motives here,” Schneider said.
Judge Lamberth, who previously allowed the project to resume in September after an earlier pause, sided again with the developers. He noted the irreparable harm of delaying a project so close to completion and said the government had not explained its sudden shift in position.
Industry-Wide Battle
Revolution Wind is the first of three lawsuits to reach a hearing. The administration’s Dec. 22 order also froze:
- Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind off New York, both owned by Equinor
- Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, developed by Dominion Energy Virginia
- Vineyard Wind, under construction in Massachusetts
Equinor warned that Empire Wind faces “likely termination” if construction cannot restart by this Friday, when vessel schedules tighten. Its hearing is set for Wednesday. Dominion’s case will be heard Friday, while Sunrise Wind has drawn a separate suit from New York’s attorney general.
Molly Morris, Equinor’s senior vice president for Empire Wind, told reporters: “I would like to think that offshore wind is, and will continue to be, part of an all-of-the-above energy solution, which our country desperately needs.”
Political Backdrop
President Trump has made no secret of his opposition. Speaking to oil executives last week, he called wind farms “losers” that “destroy the landscape and kill birds,” adding: “I’ve told my people we will not approve windmills.”
The administration’s first-day executive orders targeted the sector, reversing Biden-era policies that had accelerated offshore leasing. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management cited national security in its Aug. 22 pause of Revolution Wind, but Monday’s ruling forces the agency to allow work to proceed while it reconsiders mitigation steps.
Key Takeaways
- Revolution Wind can finish installation, keeping its February turbine deadline within reach.
- The ruling pressures the administration to detail its security concerns or accept the project as-is.
- Two more courtroom tests this week could decide the fate of Empire Wind and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind.
- Developers say halting nearly completed projects wastes billions in private investment and jeopardizes regional power supplies.
A decision on permanent injunctions is expected shortly after the remaining hearings. Daniel J. Whitman reported; News Of Philadelphia published the original story.
