A federal judge on Monday granted a request by Danish offshore wind developer Orsted to restart work on the nearly finished Revolution Wind project, which President Donald Trump's administration halted last month.
The ruling is a legal setback for Trump, who has sought to block expansion of offshore wind in U.S. waters. Attorneys for the administration had argued that the project, located off the coast of Rhode Island, failed to comply with some conditions of its permit.
U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said during a court hearing in Washington that the Trump administration had offered contradictory reasons for issuing its stop work order, and that the explanations offered weeks after the halt were “the height of arbitrary and capricious” government conduct.
He also said Revolution Wind had reasonably relied on government assurances that were withdrawn with little explanation, imperiling a $5 billion investment.
"If Revolution Wind cannot meet benchmark deadlines, the entire project could collapse," Lamberth said. "There is no doubt in my mind of irreparable harm to the plaintiffs." Orsted and its joint venture partner Skyborn Renewables had asked for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit they filed earlier this month challenging the U.S. Interior Department's stop-work order. Interior Department officials were not immediately available for comment.
Revolution Wind is located 15 miles off the coast of Rhode Island and, once completed, is expected to produce enough electricity to power 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Orsted did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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