The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has pointed to national security issues and a previous executive order from Trump that halted reviews of offshore wind projects. Ørsted has stated that it is adhering to the order while exploring legal avenues.
Trump orders Revolution Wind developers to stop offshore project already 80% complete
by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current
August 23, 2025
Revolution Wind, Rhode Island’s first large-scale offshore wind project, was put on ice by the Trump administration Friday, which ordered developers to immediately stop construction.
The project is already 80% completed, with 45 of its 65 turbines in the water off Block Island’s coastline, Orsted, the Danish co-development company, said in a statement Friday night.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, renewable energy, including offshore wind, has come under threat, with major setbacks and cancellations in federal approvals for new and ongoing projects. But Revolution Wind had stayed afloat, having already secured the last of its necessary state and federal permits two years ago. As recently as April, developers expected a 2026 completion date, after which it would begin power to Rhode Island and Connecticut. The 704 megawatt nameplate capacity, 400 megawatts of which was under contract for purchase by Rhode Island, would provide enough electricity to power 350,000 homes across both states.
Matthew Giacona, the acting director for the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which oversees federal permitting for offshore wind projects, cited Trump’s Jan. 20 memo indefinitely pausing federal reviews on offshore wind as the reason why the administration was stopping construction on Revolution Wind.
“In particular, BOEM is seeking to address concerns related to the protection of national security interests of the United States and prevention of interference with reasonable uses of exclusive economic zone, the high seas, and the territorial seas,” Giacona wrote in the letter to Orsted.
Orsted in a statement Friday night confirmed it was complying with the federal stop-work order while “evaluating all options” to proceed with construction.
“This includes engagement with relevant permitting agencies for any necessary clarification or resolution as well as through potential legal proceedings, with the aim being to proceed with continued project construction towards [a commercial operation date] in the second half of 2026,” the company said in a statement.
The company also noted the financial implications of the halt to construction. Like wind farm developers nationwide, Orsted has seen project costs rise amid supply chain slowdowns and inflationary price hikes. As part of its second-quarter earnings released on Aug. 11, Orsted announced it was seeking $9.4 billion from shareholders to help pay for another offshore wind project planned off the New York coastline amid “hostility” from the Trump administration.
Meaghan Wims, a spokesperson for Orsted, declined to comment beyond the company’s statement.
‘Unwarranted, unacceptable and bizarre’
The abrupt halt to construction prompted a wave of criticism from state and federal officials, who emphasized the project’s critical role in meeting state environmental mandates under the 2021 Act on Climate law, along with economic and energy affordability concerns.
“The Trump administration’s stop-work order on Revolution Wind undermines efforts to expand our energy supply, lower costs for families and businesses, and strengthen regional reliability,” Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement Saturday. “This action puts hundreds of union jobs at risk by halting a project that is 80% complete—just steps away from powering more than 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut. At a time when we should be moving forward with solutions for energy, jobs, and affordability, the Trump administration is choosing delay and disruption. We are working with our partners in Connecticut to pursue every avenue to reverse this decision. Revolution Wind is key to Rhode Island’s economic development, energy security, and long-term affordability for our residents.”
Without the project, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha warned the state’s requirement to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 was “dead in the water.”
“With the significant investments made in this project already and its obvious benefit to our economy and climate, the Trump Administration’s attempt to halt it can only be characterized as bizarre,” Neronha said in a statement. “Along with our neighboring states, we are evaluating our avenues to reverse it.”
Rhode Island’s federal delegation blasted the Trump administration, calling the order “unwarranted and unacceptable” in a joint statement.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management did not immediately respond to questions regarding the timing of its notice, issued over eight months after the executive order it cites.
Two days earlier, on Aug. 20, attorneys for a Rhode Island nonprofit representing local fishermen asked federal regulators to suspend work on three area offshore wind farms — Revolution Wind, SouthCoast Wind and South Fork Wind — citing violations of federal safety and environmental protections. Parts of the petition were shared with Rhode Island Current.
Marisa Desautel, a partner at Desautel Browning Law, which submitted the petition on behalf of East Farm Commercial Fisheries Center, said she received an email response that the petition was received, but no further communication.
The fishing community has been at odds with offshore wind developers for years, railing against alleged threats to their livelihood and safety. In Rhode Island, the disputes have taken center state in reviews by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, which gets a say in federal offshore wind projects within 30 miles of the state’s coastline. The CRMC has ultimately approved every offshore project to come before it, including Revolution Wind, though it has sought to set up guardrails and financial compensation for fishermen.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Rhode Island Current is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Rhode Island Current maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janine L. Weisman for questions: info@rhodeislandcurrent.com.
