A US federal judge has ruled that a nearly complete offshore wind project the White House halted can resume, dealing President Donald Trump a setback in his ongoing effort to restrict the industry.
Work on the nearly completed Revolution Wind project for Rhode Island and Connecticut has been paused since August 22 when the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a stop-work order for what it said were national security concerns.
It did not specify those concerns at the time. Both the developer and the two states sued in federal courts.
Danish energy company Orsted and its joint venture partner Skyborn Renewables sought a preliminary injunction in US District Court in Washington, DC, that would allow them to move forward with the project.
Judge Royce Lamberth held a hearing on that request Monday.
Lamberth said he considered how Revolution Wind has relied on its federal approval, the delays are costing $US2.3 million ($A3.5 million) a day and if the project can’t meet deadlines, the entire enterprise could collapse.
After December, the specialised ship needed to complete the project won’t be available until at least 2028, he said.
More than 1000 people have been working on the wind farm, which is 80 per cent complete.
“There is no question in my mind of irreparable harm to the plaintiffs,” Lamberth said, as he granted the motion for the preliminary injunction.
The Interior Department has said that the department doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
Orsted said Monday that construction will resume as soon as possible.
Trump wants to boost production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, which cause climate change, in order for the US to have the lowest-cost energy and electricity of any nation in the world, he says.
His administration has stopped construction on major offshore wind farms, revoked wind energy permits and paused permitting.
It has also cancelled plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development and stopped $US679 million ($A1.0 billion) in federal funding for a dozen offshore wind projects.
Revolution Wind is supposed to be Rhode Island’s and Connecticut’s first large offshore wind farm, capable of providing about 2.5 per cent of the region’s electricity needs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said the judge’s ruling is a major win for workers and families, who need this project on track now so it can start to drive down unaffordable energy bills.
Connecticut Democrat congressman Joe Courtney said a multibillion-dollar project that is 80 per cent complete and was fully permitted with input by the Pentagon is not a national security problem.
The Interior Department “should take the hint and let the thousands of construction workers finish the job,” he said.
Orsted began construction in 2024 about 24 km south of the Rhode Island coast.
It says in its complaint that about $US5 billion ($A7.6 billion) has been spent or committed, and it expects more than $US1 billion ($A1.5 billion) in costs if the project is cancelled.
Rhode Island is already home to one offshore wind farm, the five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm.
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