Ørsted’s Revolution Wind LLC, a joint venture with Global Infrastructure Partners' Skyborn Renewables, has received a stop-work order from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The order, issued on August 22, directs the company to suspend offshore activities on the project, which is on the outer continental shelf between Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Construction on Revolution Wind was already 80% complete, with all offshore foundations in place and 45 of 65 wind turbines installed. The project began offshore work last year following BOEM’s final federal approval.
“Ørsted is evaluating all options to resolve the matter expeditiously,” the company stated, noting it will engage with permitting agencies and consider potential legal action to resume construction.
Revolution Wind will deliver 400 MW of clean power to Rhode Island and 304 MW to Connecticut under 20-year purchase agreements. Once operational, the project will power over 350,000 homes across both states.
The development utilizes the same turbine technology as the adjacent South Fork Wind project, which achieved a 53% capacity factor during the first half of 2025—performance comparable to that of baseload resources.
The halt comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. offshore wind. Despite federal and state permitting, projects remain vulnerable to shifting regulatory interpretations. According to the Department of Energy, the U.S. offshore wind pipeline stood at over 52 GW by mid-2025, but several projects have faced delays or cancellations tied to permit disputes and supply chain costs.
Ørsted has positioned itself as a leader in U.S. offshore wind, with investments spanning grid upgrades, port facilities, and unionized labor. The company reports over 4 million labor hours across its U.S. projects, half of which are linked to Revolution Wind.
Analysts note setbacks like this could slow the Biden Administration’s updated 2030 offshore wind deployment target, which aims for at least 30 GW of capacity.
The stop-work order also raises uncertainty for Ørsted’s financial outlook. The company is currently preparing for a rights issue announced earlier this month and cautioned investors that the order could affect those plans. Ørsted said it will advise the market on financial effects once the scope of the delay is clearer.
