Court overrules Trump ban on wind project

Ørsted has won a federal court injunction to restart its Revolution Wind project, ending a month-long construction halt that cost the Danish developer €2.3 million daily.

A federal judge has overturned the Trump administration’s construction halt on Ørsted’s Revolution Wind offshore development, ending a costly month-long standstill for the Danish developer.

US District Judge Royce Lamberth issued the preliminary injunction after Revolution Wind argued the delays threatened the entire project. The nearly-complete 704MW wind farm, located 15 miles south of Nantucket, is designed to power 350,000 homes across Rhode Island and Connecticut.

The Trump administration ordered work to cease on 22 August, citing national security concerns and conflicts with scientific ocean surveys. Revolution Wind disputed these claims, with the halt costing Ørsted cost the developer €2.3 million daily.

“If Revolution Wind cannot meet benchmark deadlines, the entire project could collapse,” Judge Lamberth stated during yesterday’s Washington hearing.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will continue investigating potential impacts while construction resumes. Rhode Island and Connecticut have separately sued the federal government over the work stoppage.

An Ørsted spokesperson confirmed construction would restart “as soon as possible, with safety as the top priority.”