U.S. Judge Allows Danish Developer Orsted to Resume Rhode Island Offshore Wind Project Halted by Trump Administration

A federal judge on Monday authorized Danish offshore wind developer Orsted to resume construction on its nearly completed Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island. The project had been suspended last month by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, along with four other offshore wind developments.

The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, represents a legal setback for the Trump administration, which has sought to curb the expansion of offshore wind energy projects in federal waters.

Orsted’s lawsuit over the Revolution Wind project is among several legal challenges brought by offshore wind developers and U.S. states aiming to overturn the Interior Department’s December 22 decision to suspend five offshore wind leases. The department cited national security concerns as the reason for the pause.

Neither the Interior Department nor Orsted issued an immediate response following the ruling.

Government lawyers had argued that halting the project was justified by newly obtained classified information regarding the potential national security implications of offshore wind installations. According to the administration, this information was provided by the Defense Department in November.

Judge Lamberth rejected the argument that national security concerns warranted stopping the project. He stated that Revolution Wind would suffer irreparable harm if construction were not allowed to continue.

“You want to stop everything in place, costing them one-and-a-half million dollars a day, while you decide what you want to do?” Lamberth asked Justice Department attorney Peter Torstensen during the hearing. Lamberth was appointed to the bench by former President Ronald Reagan.

Counsel for Revolution Wind, Janice Schneider, argued that the government’s suspension violated federal laws governing administrative procedure and due process. She added that the developer had not been granted access to review the classified assessment that formed the basis of the government’s decision.

“This Court should be very skeptical of the government’s true motives here,” Schneider said.

Offshore wind developers, including Orsted, have experienced repeated disruptions to multi-billion-dollar projects during Donald Trump’s presidency. Trump has previously criticized wind turbines, describing them as unattractive, costly, and inefficient.

According to Orsted, the Revolution Wind project is approximately 87% complete and is expected to begin generating electricity later this year. Revolution Wind LLC is structured as a joint venture, with Orsted and Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables each holding a 50% stake. Orsted has also filed a separate lawsuit related to its Sunrise Wind project located off the coast of New York.

Monday’s hearing marked the first of three preliminary injunction hearings scheduled for this week in cases seeking to block the federal government’s pause on offshore wind projects. The remaining hearings involve Equinor’s Empire Wind project off New York’s coast and Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind facility.