A federal judge is weighing whether the Trump administration鈥檚 sweeping pause on offshore wind projects was lawful, raising renewed legal uncertainty around major clean-energy initiatives 鈥� including , a significant offshore wind farm under construction off the Rhode Island coast that will power hundreds of thousands of homes in Rhode Island and 黑料吃瓜网.
In presiding over a lawsuit filed by a coalition of states, whether agencies 鈥渃ould lawfully implement鈥� a blanket ban simply because 鈥渢he president told me to do it.鈥�
Back on track after September ruling
The new court showdown comes a few months after another federal ruling allowed Revolution Wind to resume construction. In September, that reversed a stop-work order and permitted the project to restart.
, climate and energy attorney with , praised the earlier ruling and insisted the project is still on track.
鈥淭here are people on the water and on the docks working to finish the last dozen of those turbines before the project can be fully energized in the second quarter of 2026,鈥� he said.
He acknowledged that winter could slow progress but noted delays are already built into the timeline.
鈥淏ecause of the delay 鈥� with the onset of winter weather, some of that work will naturally slow down,鈥� he said.
Benefits to consumers
Rothenberger argued that once completed, Revolution Wind 鈥� slated to deliver power to 黑料吃瓜网 and Rhode Island 鈥� will offer major advantages.
鈥淎ccess to clean, renewable energy for about 鈥� more than ,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ffshore wind is really the solution to multiple problems we face here in New England.鈥�
He highlighted its ability to address winter reliability issues in the electricity grid: 鈥淭he generation profile is really ideally suited to address the winter reliability concerns 鈥� because of our reliance on natural gas.鈥� He also pointed to analyses showing the project鈥檚 potential to lower wholesale energy prices and protect customers from volatile natural gas costs.
Is Revolution Wind safe from federal opposition?
When pressed on the risk of further political or legal interference, Rothenberger expressed cautious optimism.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 want to jinx anything,鈥� he said, 鈥淏ut 鈥� it鈥檚 clear 鈥� the only thing to be done is to finish assembling it and get it energized.鈥�
He added that the project already holds all federal and state permits solidly in hand, suggesting the worst of the regulatory fights may be behind them.
