On September 6, 2024, the Biden administration granted the Revolution Wind project an Atlantic Coast-style apotheosis. Today it comes up against an abrupt stop in its tracks, as the Trump administration has ordered a stop-work. This ambitious wind energy project would have produced enough electricity to power about 718,000 New England homes each year. Increasingly, a chorus of business and government leaders from the region are warning about the dangers of this sudden stop.
State leaders from Connecticut and Rhode Island are calling for answers. In our region, they are asking why work on the Revolution Wind project unexpectedly ceased. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut has expressed specific alarm, even threatening to demand a classified briefing. He emphasized the importance of transparency, stating,
“They say there are national security interests here. Come clean, reveal them.”
This persistent demand for explanation illustrates a deep-seated confusion over the fate of the project. It poses a threat to the region’s energy supply.
Federal Actions and Responses
The Trump administration’s effort to use a stop-work order has surprised many industry stakeholders and state officials. According to the AP, a new suit is expected to be filed before September 12, 2025. This move is the first step to reversing the approval of the construction and operations plan for the Revolution Wind project. This lawsuit has major implications for the project’s timeline and overall viability.
Sean McGarvey, President of the North America Building Trades Unions, called out the feds’ decision. He says the wording used to describe the stop is incredibly misleading. He remarked,
“A ‘stop-work order’ is the fancy bureaucratic term, but it means one thing: throwing skilled American workers off the job.”
This feeling is borne out by larger economic and community impacts seen by towns that rely on renewable energy projects.
Mixed Reactions from Stakeholders
The suspension, which the administration describes as a pause, has drawn a mixed reaction from different players in the energy manufacturing ecosystem. We know many of our friends in the business community and public sector share our concern over the loss of renewable resources. Green Oceans, a Rhode Island coalition of groups opposing the project, praised the feds’ intervention. Most importantly, they highlighted the issues with Delaware’s permitting process. They argued that this move reflects a recognition of the serious mistakes in how we’ve approved these often harmful projects.
“This decisive action demonstrates that the federal government finally recognises the seriously flawed permitting process that allowed this project and others to move forward,” stated a representative from Green Oceans.
This divide between stakeholders demonstrates how nuanced the development of wind energy can be, along with the regulatory landscape within which it operates.