Federal Judge Lifts Halt on Revolution Wind Offshore Construction
Seafreeze Fisheries liaison Meghan Lapp discusses the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down the offshore wind industry on ‘The Bottom Line.’
A recent ruling by a federal judge has overturned an order from the Interior Department that halted construction on a significant $6.2 billion offshore wind project. Danish offshore wind developer Orsted is now set to resume work on its Revolution Wind project, marking a pivotal moment in the expansion of renewable energy in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth’s decision is a notable legal setback for the Trump administration, which has actively sought to block the growth of offshore wind initiatives in federal waters. This ruling is the second victory for the Revolution Wind project over the federal government in just four months, according to reports from Reuters.
FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN, ALLOWS OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT TO RESUME
Orsted elaborates on its website that “Revolution Wind is a 704-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm located in federal waters 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast, 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast, and 12 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.” The project, which commenced in 2023, is expected to provide clean energy to over 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut when fully operational, making it the first multi-state offshore wind project in the nation.
“Revolution Wind will determine how best it may be possible to work with the U.S. Administration to achieve an expeditious and durable resolution,” Orsted stated in a statement following Lamberth’s granting of the preliminary injunction. “The project will resume construction work as soon as possible, with safety as the top priority, and to deliver affordable, reliable power to the Northeast.”
Wind turbine foundation components at the Revolution Wind construction hub at the Port of Providence in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 13, 2024. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Government attorneys contended that the pause was warranted due to new information regarding national security impacts, which the War Department disclosed to the Department of the Interior in November. However, Judge Lamberth dismissed this argument, asserting that the project would suffer irreparable harm without the injunction.
“You want to stop everything in place, costing them one-and-a-half million a day, while you decide what you want to do?” Lamberth questioned Justice Department attorney Peter Torstensen during the hearing, as reported by Reuters.
Parts of wind turbines sit at the State Pier in New London, Connecticut, on Aug. 25, 2025, ahead of a press conference held in response to the Trump administration’s order to halt construction on the Revolution Wind project. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service / Getty Images)
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The U.S. Bureau of Energy Management had issued a stop-work order on August 22 for Revolution Wind, which was already 80% complete, with offshore foundations in place and 45 of the 65 wind turbines installed at that time.
Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
Seafreeze Fisheries liaison Meghan Lapp discusses the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down the offshore wind industry on ‘The Bottom Line.’
A recent ruling by a federal judge has overturned an order from the Interior Department that halted construction on a significant $6.2 billion offshore wind project. Danish offshore wind developer Orsted is now set to resume work on its Revolution Wind project, marking a pivotal moment in the expansion of renewable energy in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth’s decision is a notable legal setback for the Trump administration, which has actively sought to block the growth of offshore wind initiatives in federal waters. This ruling is the second victory for the Revolution Wind project over the federal government in just four months, according to reports from Reuters.
FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST TRUMP ADMIN, ALLOWS OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT TO RESUME
Orsted elaborates on its website that “Revolution Wind is a 704-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm located in federal waters 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast, 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast, and 12 miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.” The project, which commenced in 2023, is expected to provide clean energy to over 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut when fully operational, making it the first multi-state offshore wind project in the nation.
“Revolution Wind will determine how best it may be possible to work with the U.S. Administration to achieve an expeditious and durable resolution,” Orsted stated in a statement following Lamberth’s granting of the preliminary injunction. “The project will resume construction work as soon as possible, with safety as the top priority, and to deliver affordable, reliable power to the Northeast.”
Wind turbine foundation components at the Revolution Wind construction hub at the Port of Providence in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 13, 2024. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Government attorneys contended that the pause was warranted due to new information regarding national security impacts, which the War Department disclosed to the Department of the Interior in November. However, Judge Lamberth dismissed this argument, asserting that the project would suffer irreparable harm without the injunction.
“You want to stop everything in place, costing them one-and-a-half million a day, while you decide what you want to do?” Lamberth questioned Justice Department attorney Peter Torstensen during the hearing, as reported by Reuters.
Parts of wind turbines sit at the State Pier in New London, Connecticut, on Aug. 25, 2025, ahead of a press conference held in response to the Trump administration’s order to halt construction on the Revolution Wind project. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service / Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
The U.S. Bureau of Energy Management had issued a stop-work order on August 22 for Revolution Wind, which was already 80% complete, with offshore foundations in place and 45 of the 65 wind turbines installed at that time.
Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
