Orsted Achieves Revolution Wind Victory as Trump Administration Drops Appeal

Revolution Wind Project Advances After Trump Administration Drops Appeal of Revolution Wind Project

Orsted secured an important win in its offshore wind development efforts when the Trump administration missed their November 21, 2025 deadline to lodge an appeal of U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth's order ordering work to resume on its Revolution Wind project. Lamberth had found no justification for suspending construction on this 704 megawatt wind farm back in August.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued its original stop-work order citing unspecified national security concerns; within 60 days after Orsted and project partners filed their legal challenge against it in federal court in Washington D.C. they could file an appeal. Instead they decided not to. This decision represented a major setback for Orsted's legal challenge against it in federal court and represents another blow against their efforts in Washington DC.

Judge Lamberth, appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, described the government's action as an act of extreme arbitrariness and capriciousness, given its lack of supporting evidence for national security reasons. She cautioned that continued work stoppage could cause irreparable harm given developers must meet stringent deadlines to finish projects on schedule.

Construction Progress and Employment Impact Analysis

Revolution Wind project, since work resumed on September 22, 2025, has reached approximately 85% completion according to Orsted's most recent quarterly earnings report. The wind farm being installed at State Pier in New London Connecticut had already reached 80% when work stopped; all foundation work for its massive turbines had already been driven into the seafloor before this stop-work order was issued.

This project currently employs nearly 1,200 workers across Connecticut and Rhode Island, with more than 100 jobs at State Pier alone. Construction should wrap up by the second half of 2026. Both states have signed power purchase agreements with this project - Connecticut utilities have committed to purchasing up to 304 megawatts at $99 per megawatt-hour once operationalization of the wind farm occurs.

The wind farm itself is situated in federal waters off of Block Island in Rhode Island and represents an important offshore energy infrastructure project in the northeastern U.S.

Ongoing Legal Challenges and Industry Implications

Orsted's decision to appeal Lamberth's ruling has been met with some success from the Trump administration; however, an additional lawsuit challenging their actions against Revolution Wind still lies with Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha who filed this claim in September 2025.

Connecticut Attorney General Tong saw the administration's decision not to pursue its original halt order as confirmation that its original decision was unjustifiable and considered it a major victory for Connecticut workers and families. Meanwhile, the White House issued a general statement emphasizing its focus on domestic oil, gas, and nuclear energy development rather than directly commenting on Revolution Wind's case.

Separately, another federal judge in Washington is currently reviewing whether the Trump administration erred when it decided to halt all approvals for future offshore wind projects as part of executive actions announced upon returning to office on January 20, 2025.