The case was decided by a federal judge on Monday in favor of the Revolution Wind offshore project, which is almost finished, to restart construction, a clear blow to President Trump in his campaign against the wind industry. Danish energy company Orsted and its partner Skyborn Renewables received a preliminary injunction by Judge Royce Lamberth to proceed with the 80% complete project that had been halted since August 22 due to unspecified national security issues.
Federal judge overturns Trump administration’s controversial stop-work order
A federal judge on Monday ordered that Orsted’s Revolution Wind may resume construction, affirming the company’s arguments that the Trump administration’s halting of the project is unlawful, according to New Bedford Light. The ruling is a major win for the offshore wind industry, which to date has not seen much relief from the courts in addressing the obstacles that the Trump administration has put in place.
Work on the nearly completed Revolution Wind project for Rhode Island and Connecticut has been paused since Aug. 22, when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a stop-work order for what it said were national security concerns. Both the developer and the two states sued in federal courts, with Danish energy company Orsted and its joint venture partner Skyborn Renewables seeking a preliminary injunction.
Judge cites irreparable harm costing millions daily
Judge Royce Lamberth said he considered how Revolution Wind has relied on its federal approval, the delays are costingย $2.3 million a day,ย and if the project can’t meet deadlines, the entire enterprise could collapse. “There is no question in my mind of irreparable harm to the plaintiffs,” Lamberth said, as he granted the motion for the preliminary injunction.
Trump’s broader assault on the offshore wind industry faces a setback
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to end the offshore wind industry as soon as he returned to the White House. His administration has stopped construction on major offshore wind farms, revoked wind energy permits, paused permitting, canceled plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development, and stopped $679 million in federal funding for a dozen offshore wind projects.
Revolution Wind is supposed to be Rhode Island’s and Connecticut’s first large offshore wind farm, capable of providing about 2.5% of the region’sย electricity needs. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the judge’s ruling is a major win for workers and families, who need this project on track now so it can start to drive down unaffordable energy bills.
Orsted began construction in 2024 about 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast. It says in its complaint that about $5 billion has been spent or committed, and it expects more than $1ย billion in costs if the project is canceled. Revolution Wind is slated to send power to both Rhode Island and Connecticut with 65 turbines.
Legal victory provides hope for other offshore wind projects
The preliminary injunction, as the name suggests, is a preliminary decision that halts the stop-work order while the case plays out. Still, such an injunction must meet four conditions, including that the plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits of their argument and suffer irreparable harm without relief, and that an injunction would be in the public interest.
The federal court ruling represents a crucial victory for the offshore wind industry amid Trump’s aggressive campaign to halt renewable energy projects. Although the preliminary injunction is an acknowledgement that the construction may continue, the administration can still appeal the ruling. In this case, the conflict between federal energy policy and judicial supervision is demonstrated, and billions of investments and thousands of jobs are at risk, with the legal struggle being ongoing.