CT Fights Trump Admin's Latest Revolution Wind Halt; Millions in Ratepayer Costs Cited

Attorney General William Tong on Monday sought a preliminary injunction to block the Trump Administration’s recent effort to suspend work on the Revolution Wind offshore wind project. This action follows a December 22 suspension by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which cited undisclosed national security concerns for halting work for at least 90 days.

Connecticut and Rhode Island had previously sued after the first stop-work order was issued on August 22. Developer Ørsted also filed a separate lawsuit, which resulted in an injunction allowing work to proceed. Now, both states have filed their own request for an injunction, outlining immediate harm to their residents.

Attorney General Tong stated, “Donald Trump is escalating his lawless and erratic attack on Connecticut ratepayers and workers. Every day this project is stalled costs us hundreds of thousands of dollars in inflated energy bills when families are in dire need of relief.” He added that the project was vetted and approved, and the administration has not provided evidence to counter that process. Tong confirmed the states are fighting to resume work and deliver clean energy.

Revolution Wind is located fifteen nautical miles off the coast of Rhode Island. It is expected to provide enough electricity to power 350,000 homes in the New England grid, supplying 2.5 percent of the region’s electricity. The project was scheduled to begin delivering power this month, which would have provided needed energy during the winter heating season.

The delay is projected to cost Connecticut ratepayers millions of dollars. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection estimates a 90-day delay could cost Connecticut and the broader New England region approximately $350,000 per day, totaling $31 million in higher electricity costs. Over 20 years, Revolution Wind is projected to save Connecticut and Rhode Island ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

The project supports over 2,500 jobs nationwide, including more than 1,000 union construction jobs. It has been approved through federal and state regulatory processes and is supported by binding contracts.

In addition to the injunction motion, Attorney General Tong and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha also sought to consolidate their existing lawsuit with a parallel suit filed by Ørsted. This consolidation aims to address common legal and factual questions.

This article includes AI-assisted reporting. Editors reviewed all content for accuracy.