Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee touted the economic benefits of a recent federal court decision lifting an order from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to stop work on the Revolution Wind project at a recent press conference. The project is located in federal waters 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast. Components for the project are being staged at Connecticut’s New London state pier.
Lamont said that installation of the wind turbines as a part of the project would resume tomorrow and called the decision a “really good day for New London,” a “very good day for Connecticut,” and a good day for the entire New England region given the project’s anticipated effect on energy prices.
BOEM ordered work on the project to stop on August 22, citing “concerns that have arisen” about its alleged impacts on U.S. national security interests. A letter sent by BOEM to Ørsted informed the company that all work was stopped until the bureau had completed its review of the project.
The decision, which came without prior warning, drew anger from various political leaders in both Connecticut and Rhode Island, who argued the project had been thoroughly vetted and that there was no lawful basis to suddenly stop work, which was estimated to be 80 percent complete at the time of the BOEM’s letter.
At the press conference, Lamont said the wind project, which is anticipated to go online in 2026 and produce 720 megawatts of power for approximately 350,000 homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island, is a “big day” for consumers because the project is “a big way of bringing down energy problems.” The project is expected to meet roughly 2.5 percent of New England’s energy needs.
McKee echoed Lamont’s comments about the importance of the project for regional energy needs. He said the project helps serve Rhode Island’s goal of building things “that will pay dividends for decades to come.”
McKee called the project a ‘pocketbook issue,’ saying residents “need to have the ability to contain and control our energy costs.”
“We’ve got a great backyard called the Atlantic Ocean and we’re going to use it, and that’s what’s happening here today.” McKee added.
Both governors also stated that they have been talking to officials in the White House, and to the secretaries of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy daily about not just the Revolution Wind project but about other projects that can help provide additional energy in the region. Lamont mentioned discussing wind and solar power, as well as natural gas and nuclear and called the decision a “very important first step in terms of where we want to go.”
A federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on September 22 that work on the project can restart immediately. Judge Royce Lamberth said during a hearing prior to the decision that the Trump administration’s decision was “the height of arbitrary and capricious” conduct from the government. The decision stated that there was “no doubt” in his mind that the work stoppage was causing irreparable harm because of deadlines the project is required to meet.
Ørsted said in a statement released shortly after the ruling that it would resume work as soon as possible “with safety as the top priority” and that the would “continue to seek to work collaboratively with the US Administration and other stakeholders toward a prompt resolution.”
Officials in the Trump administration have said that BOEM will continue its investigation into the project. A White House spokesperson suggested the decision would not be “the final say on the matter,” suggesting the administration may fight the ruling.
In addition, Tong and Neronha filed a joint motion seeking a preliminary injunction that would allow work on the project to resume.
Following the ruling, Lamont said via a statement that the ruling was “extremely encouraging for workers and our energy future.” He said the project will help the state “attract major economic development projects that will offer economic security for American workers and transform communities as we move to a 21st century community.”
Tong called the decision a “major win for Connecticut workers and for Connecticut families.” He added the ruling “unequivocally affirmed” that the administration’s decision “failed to satisfy any statutory provisions needed to halt work on a fully approved and nearly complete project.”
McKee stated that he was “optimistic that the courts will continue to recognize the legitimacy and importance of this project to our jobs and our energy future.”
Once operational, the project will operate under a power purchase agreement requiring utility companies to purchase a certain amount of energy at a predetermined price. According to a 2023 report from Eversource, residents will pay between $98.43 and $99.50 per megawatt hour for electricity generated by Revolution Wind. That’s a much higher rate than under the power purchase agreement for the Millstone nuclear power plant, which Connecticut officials have blamed for driving an increase in the public benefits charge. Ratepayers pay $49.99 per megawatt-hour for power from Millstone. Though Revolution Wind will supply less power than Millstone does, it could still drive up public benefits charges.
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