Trump administration pauses wind project off Rhode Island coast

The Trump administration has ordered construction to stop on Revolution Wind, the offshore wind farm being built 15 miles off Rhode Island’s coast.

Ørsted, the project’s developer, announced Friday that the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a stop-work order. The 704-megawatt wind farm, designed to power more than 350,000 homes across Rhode Island and Connecticut, is already 80% complete, with all offshore foundations installed and 45 of 65 turbines in place.

The BOEM cited an executive order signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump stopping offshore wind development. While industry experts initially believed the order would affect only new projects, Revolution Wind has now been forced to pause despite being well underway.

According to the agency, they are “seeking to address concerns related to the protection of national security interests of the United States and prevention of interference with reasonable uses of the exclusive economic zone, the high seas, and the territorial seas.”

Ørsted said it is “evaluating all options to resolve the matter expeditiously,” including engaging with regulators for clarification and potentially pursuing legal action.

Onshore construction for Revolution Wind began two years ago, with offshore work starting in May 2024 and the first turbine being installed in September.

In July, the Trump administration formally ended plans for offshore wind development in federal waters, including areas near Rhode Island once designated for large-scale projects off New York and across New England.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) withdrew more than 3.5 million acres of potential wind energy sites and shifted its focus back toward fossil fuel production. The administration also imposed a new requirement that future solar and wind projects receive direct approval from the Interior Secretary.

Trump administration pauses wind project.