Revolution Wind turbines and idle service vessels off the coast as construction pauses during federal review
Rhode Island (offshore), August 24, 2025
A federal offshore energy office issued an order requiring work on the Revolution Wind project to stop while it conducts a new review tied to a presidential executive order. At the time of the halt most turbines were already installed and the developer said the project was about 80% complete. The pause raises concerns about hundreds of union jobs, regional clean energy plans, higher consumer costs, and investor uncertainty. Ørsted says it is complying, engaging agencies and weighing legal options while aiming to minimize environmental and worker impacts and to resume on a previous timeline if cleared.
A federal agency ordered work to stop on the Revolution Wind offshore wind farm, even though the project is roughly 80 percent complete and most turbines are already installed. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), acting on an executive order from the White House, directed the developer to halt all offshore activities while it reviews concerns tied to national security and other uses of U.S. maritime zones. The order was issued on August 22 and sent to the developer late that day.
The BOEM letter requires the project team to stop all ongoing activities and to remain idle until BOEM finishes its review and notifies the developer it can resume work. The acting director of BOEM who issued the letter signed the instruction. The agency cited a presidential executive order aimed at slowing the expansion of offshore wind as the reason for a fresh review focused on national security and possible interference with uses of the exclusive economic zone, territorial seas and high seas. BOEM did not specify detailed security issues in the notice.
Revolution Wind is a 704-megawatt project planned to hold 65 turbines. Reports show 45 turbines had been installed when the stop-work order arrived, which was described in some accounts as roughly 70 percent of turbines placed. The developer maintains the overall project is about 80 percent complete, noting that onshore construction began more than two years ago and offshore work began in spring 2024. The first offshore turbine went up in September 2024. The wind farm sits about 15 miles south of Little Compton, Rhode Island, and has been variously described as roughly 32 miles southeast of Connecticut’s shore.
The project is a joint venture between major offshore developers and regional utility partners. Reporting lists Ørsted as a principal developer and notes partnerships described both as a 50/50 pairing with an infrastructure investor and alternatively as a joint project with a New England utility company. The wind farm holds power contracts that will send 400 megawatts to Rhode Island and 304 megawatts to Connecticut. The developers estimate the project will generate enough electricity for about 350,000 homes.
Contracts include a flat rate for Rhode Island’s share. Rhode Island Energy is set to pay 9.8 cents per kilowatt-hour for its portion, a deal that was projected at approval to save ratepayers roughly $90 million over the life of the contract by displacing costly fossil-fuel generation in the winter. The total project has been described in reporting as a multibillion-dollar build, with one figure cited at about $4 billion. Parts of the project were staged at regional ports, including the Port of Providence and the Quonset Business Park.
The developer said it is complying with the BOEM order and taking steps to secure safety on site and protect the environment. It also said it is evaluating legal and administrative options to resolve the situation quickly and is assessing potential financial impacts under several scenarios. The developer indicated the target for commercial operation remained in the second half of 2026 prior to the halt and said it intends to pursue options that could allow the project to stay on that schedule.
State leaders and industry groups reacted sharply, calling the halt a threat to jobs, regional energy affordability and long-term energy plans. Officials in Rhode Island and Connecticut warned the pause could raise electricity costs, endanger hundreds of union jobs and undercut years of state investment in clean energy. State attorneys general and congressional delegations signaled plans to explore legal and political responses. Industry groups said the order undermines investor confidence and harms related investments in shipyards, ports and steel.
This is the second recent case in which the same federal agency issued a stop-work order for an offshore wind project after construction had begun; a prior order affecting another Atlantic project was reversed about a month later. The Revolution Wind project had received final federal approvals under the previous administration. Observers say the latest action adds uncertainty for other regional projects that had federal approvals in place and were counting on commercial operation to help lower regional electricity prices and support local economic development.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ordered that all ongoing offshore activities for the Revolution Wind project be halted until BOEM completes a review and provides written clearance to resume.
The project was reported to be about 80 percent complete overall. Of 65 planned turbines, 45 had been installed when the order was issued.
BOEM said the halt allows it to address concerns prompted by a presidential executive order, with a review focused on national security interests and possible interference with uses of U.S. maritime zones. Details were not specified in the notice.
The project holds contracts to supply 400 megawatts to Rhode Island and 304 megawatts to Connecticut, enough electricity for roughly 350,000 homes combined.
State officials and industry groups warned that the pause puts hundreds of union jobs at risk and creates uncertainty for related investments in ports, shipyards and supply chains that supported the project.
Developers have said they are engaging permitting agencies, reviewing administrative steps and considering legal proceedings. State officials have also indicated plans to evaluate legal and policy responses to the order.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 704 megawatts |
| Turbines planned | 65 |
| Turbines installed (at halt) | 45 |
| Percent complete (developer) | About 80% |
| Location | About 15 miles south of Little Compton, Rhode Island (also reported as ~32 miles SE of Connecticut) |
| Partners | Ørsted and regional partners (reported as joint venture with an infrastructure investor and utility partners) |
| Power allocation | Rhode Island 400 MW; Connecticut 304 MW |
| Price to Rhode Island | 9.8 cents per kWh (flat rate in contract) |
| Estimated project cost | Described as multibillion-dollar; one figure cited at about $4 billion |
| Staging ports | Port of Providence, Quonset Business Park |
| Regulatory status | Had final federal approvals under prior administration; currently under BOEM review after stop-work order |
| Order date | August 22 (halt directed the same day) |
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