Danish energy company Ørsted has taken legal action against US President Donald Trump’s administration to resume construction on its $1.5 billion Revolution Wind project, which was halted last month. The wind farm, 80 percent complete, is designed to power 350,000 homes in the northeastern US.
Ørsted called the stop-work order “arbitrary and capricious,” citing billions already spent on approvals. The move comes amid broader US government actions against offshore wind projects, which President Trump has labeled the “scam of the century.”
The lawsuit comes as Ørsted held an emergency shareholder meeting in Copenhagen to approve a DKr60 billion ($9.4 billion) rights issue, aimed at stabilising finances after shares dropped 38 percent this year amid repeated US government interventions in the wind energy sector. Key supporters of the move include Ørsted’s two-largest shareholders – the Danish state and Equinor.
Other US projects may also face scrutiny, with permits under review for developments off Massachusetts. These are SouthCoast Wind, being developed by France’s Engie and EDP Renewables, and the New England Wind 1 and 2 projects being developed by Avangrid, a subsidiary of Spain’s Iberdrola.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has defended the suspension of work on Revolution Wind, citing national security concerns, including the possible misuse of turbines to cover undersea drone attacks.
