The US Court for the District of Columbia has granted Revolution Wind’s request for a preliminary injunction against the US government’s stop-work order on its offshore wind project. The ruling permits Revolution Wind to resume affected activities while the lawsuit challenging the stop-work order is ongoing. The order, issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in August, was challenged by Revolution Wind.
The project, destined to be Rhode Island and Connecticut’s first large offshore wind farm, faced delays due to national security concerns. However, these concerns were not specified.
Revolution Wind says that it remains committed to collaborating with the US administration and other stakeholders to achieve a swift resolution.
Revolution Wind is a 704 MW offshore wind array, a 50-50 joint venture between Danish energy company Ørsted and Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables. The project is said to be 80% complete.
Judge Royce Lamberth noted that the project is reliant on federal approval, with delays currently incurring costs of approximately $2.3 m per day. He also pointed out that failing to meet deadlines could threaten the project’s viability. “There is no question in my mind of irreparable harm to the plaintiffs,” said Lamberth.
President Trump’s commitment
Throughout his presidential campaign, Donald Trump committed to dismantling the offshore wind industry. His administration has since put a stop to the construction of significant offshore wind farms, revoking existing permits, pausing new permitting processes, and cancelling plans to allocate extensive areas of federal waters for future offshore wind development. And it has halted $679m in federal funding intended for a dozen offshore wind projects, reported the news agency.
Ørsted, which started construction in 2024, has invested or pledged approximately $5 bn to the project and reportedly expects to incur over $1bn in costs if it is ultimately cancelled.
Ørsted shares rose following the ruling, but the victory could prove short-lived, as the White House could appeal the decision, or take further regulatory action against other projects as part of the administration’s broader campaign to dismantle the renewable energy sector.
