The Trump Administration, through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), has issued a stop-work order on the offshore Revolution wind project in New London.
The decision has received harsh criticism from Connecticut officials.
Gov. Ned Lamont (D) held a press conference on Monday at State Pier, which underwent major construction to facilitate the project.
Lamont said he was shocked by the decision.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations down in Washington, DC. I’ve talked about this with the President and the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of the Interior. And we don’t agree on everything, but there was a strong sense that we wanted more American-based power,” Lamont said. “We wanted power that would be affordable and would bring down the cost for consumers, especially here in New England, where we have relatively high prices.”
BOEM said the stop-work order is to allow them to investigate concerns over national security issues and the use of exclusive economic zones such as the nation’s territorial and high seas.
It’s a blow to the offshore wind industry and Ørsted, the energy company responsible for the construction, as the Revolution Wind project is 80% complete and was due to start producing power for Connecticut and Rhode Island in 2026.
“In the Big Beautiful Bill that he shepherded through Congress just a few months ago, there’s $190 billion of tax breaks and direct subsidies to the oil industry,” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said. “A withdrawal, a devastation, a destruction of help, tax credits and subsidies for renewable energy. This President is committed to destroying renewable energy and to powering this country only on oil and gas to please and help his friends.”
The stop order has no timeline as to when Ørsted may resume work.
