McKee seeks meeting with Trump on Rhode Island offshore wind

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Governor Dan McKee is pressing the Trump administration to lift its stop-work order on the Revolution Wind project, but so far the White House has shown no interest in meeting with him directly.

McKee’s office sent a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, after a phone call about the August 22 order that halted construction on the 704-megawatt offshore wind farm.

The governor stressed the importance of the project’s economic and energy benefits. Once completed, Revolution Wind was expected to power more than 350,000 homes across Rhode Island and Connecticut.

McKee’s office emphasized that construction is already far along with 80% of the project and 90% of the transmission lines already complete. All 65 steel foundations have been installed, with 45 of the 65 turbines in place, and the export cable is fully connected to Quonset’s onshore substation.

The governor said he has made repeated requests for a face-to-face meeting with President Trump, both through the White House chief of staff and in discussions with other governors, including Connecticut’s Ned Lamont.

The move comes amid the Trump administration’s wider crackdown on offshore wind. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently canceled $679 million in funding for 12 wind projects nationwide, including $11.25 million for Rhode Island’s Port of Davisville.

Rhode Island’s congressional delegation condemned that decision as a blow to efficiency, union jobs, and port security.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has signaled potential legal action against the administration over the order, though no lawsuit has yet been filed. Meanwhile, grid operator ISO-NE has warned that delaying Revolution Wind could jeopardize New England’s power reliability starting next year.

Rhode Island offshore wind project.