Revolution Wind, a joint venture between Ørsted and a consortium led by Skyborn Renewables, on Sept. 4 filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging the stop-work order on an offshore wind project from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, to be followed by a request for a Preliminary Injunction.
“While Revolution Wind will continue to seek to work collaboratively with the Administration and other stakeholders toward a prompt resolution, it believes that BOEM lacked legal authority for the stop-work order and that the stop-work order’s stated basis violated applicable law. The project is facing substantial harm from continuation of the stop-work order, and as a result, litigation is a necessary step,” the joint venture said.
Revolution Wind secured all required federal and state permits in 2023, following reviews that began more than nine years ago. Federal reviews and approvals included the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries Service, and several other agencies.
“Revolution Wind has spent and committed billions of dollars in reliance upon this fulsome review process,” it said.
Revolution Wind is now 80% complete and is expected to enhance reliability as a critical part of the Northeast energy supply, which is crucial to meeting strong expected growth in energy demand, it said.
This includes supporting the growing power needs of data centers and AI, with experts warning that halting the project will increase electricity costs for the region. ISO New England has warned that delaying the project would increase risks to reliability.
“Through the region’s wholesale markets, Revolution Wind has committed to helping meet New England’s demand for electricity, beginning in 2026. The ISO is expecting this project to come online and it is included in our analyses of near-term and future grid reliability. Delaying the project will increase risks to reliability,” ISO New England said on Aug. 25.
“Recent heatwaves in New England drove demand for electricity to very high levels and demonstrated that our region needs all generation resources with market obligations to be available to meet demand and maintain required reserves. Beyond near-term impacts to reliability in the summer and winter peak periods, delays in the availability of new resources will adversely affect New England’s economy and industrial growth, including potential future data centers,” the grid operator said.
“As demand for electricity grows, New England must maintain and add to its energy infrastructure. Unpredictable risks and threats to resources—regardless of technology—that have made significant capital investments, secured necessary permits, and are close to completion will stifle future investments, increase costs to consumers, and undermine the power grid’s reliability and the region’s economy now and in the future,” the grid operator said.
Revolution Wind is set to deliver 704 MW and has already installed 100% of offshore foundations and approximately 70% of wind turbines for the project. Export cable installation is nearly complete, as is 90% of the onshore substation.
Developer Says BOEM Lifts Stop Work Order on N.Y. Offshore Wind Project
Empire Offshore Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Equinor ASA, in May said it had been informed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that a stop work order had been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction activities to resume.
The stop work order was issued on April 16, 2025. Following dialogue with regulators and federal, state, and city officials, the stop work order has been lifted and construction activities will resume, the company said.
