States, Lawmakers Vow to Fight Trump’s Halt on Key Offshore Wind Project

The Biden-era Revolution Wind project, a nearly completed offshore wind farm off the coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut, is facing a sudden halt after the Trump administration ordered all construction activities to cease, citing unspecified “national security concerns.” The decision has sparked outrage among state leaders, environmental advocates, and lawmakers who see the move as a politically motivated attack on clean energy. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), led by acting director Matt Giacona, formerly a lobbyist for the offshore oil industry, issued the stop-work order Friday. The directive requires the Danish developer Ørsted to suspend operations immediately, despite the project being roughly 80% complete with 45 of its planned 65 turbines already installed. The farm was expected to supply power to more than 350,000 homes by next year. “This project is just steps away from delivering clean energy to hundreds of thousands of New Englanders,” said Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee. “We will pursue every legal and political avenue to reverse this reckless decision.” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont echoed the sentiment, pledging to fight for the project’s reinstatement. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) went further, alleging corruption behind the move. He linked the decision to reports of former President Donald Trump seeking $1 billion in campaign donations from oil executives in exchange for regulatory rollbacks. “This is what they were asking for: the destruction of clean energy in America,” Murphy said. The halt threatens to derail Rhode Island’s Act on Climate law, which hinges on renewable energy adoption to meet ambitious emission-reduction targets. “Without Revolution Wind, that law is dead in the water,” warned state Attorney General Peter Neronha. Environmental groups supporting renewable energy criticized the decision as a setback in the fight against climate change. “This administration has it exactly backwards,” said Kit Kennedy of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “They’re propping up dirty fossil fuels while undermining the fastest-growing energy sources of the future.” Not all voices opposed the move. Green Oceans, a non-profit fighting offshore wind projects, welcomed the halt, citing potential harm to marine ecosystems. However, scientists overwhelmingly maintain that offshore wind is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding climate catastrophe. Ørsted is assessing financial losses and considering legal action. The Revolution Wind project joins Empire Wind, a New York offshore project previously halted under Trump but later revived. Whether Revolution Wind will meet the same fate remains uncertain as legal and political battles loom. For New England’s clean energy ambitions, the outcome could define whether the region continues to lead on renewable energy or sees its momentum stalled by federal obstruction.