Interior Department Halts the 80%-Built Revolution Wind Farm Serving Rhode Island and Connecticut

On August 22, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a stop-work order halting offshore construction of Revolution Wind, an Orsted project roughly 80% complete with all foundations installed and 45 of 65 turbines erected. The 704-megawatt project was contracted to deliver 400 MW to Rhode Island and 304 MW to Connecticut, enough for more than 350,000 homes. BOEM cited the "protection of national security interests of the United States and prevention of interference with reasonable uses" of the outer continental shelf, referencing a January 20, 2025 presidential memorandum suspending federal approvals for wind energy. The order carried a 60-day appeal window.

The project had already cleared federal environmental review and received its construction and operations approval. Revoking permission mid-build, on a fully permitted project with contracted power buyers, transfers the risk of federal policy reversals onto private developers and state utilities, and unsettles the reliance interests that federal permitting is meant to create.

Orsted said it was stopping offshore activities safely and evaluating its options, including legal action, and noted Equinor's $763 million impairment after a comparable stoppage at Empire Wind. The company challenged the order in federal court, and a judge subsequently allowed construction to resume.