A nearly complete wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut faces an uncertain future as the states' Democratic governors, members of Congress and union workers are calling Monday for the Trump administration to let construction resume.
The administration halted construction on the Revolution Wind project last week, saying the federal government needs to review the project and address national security concerns. It did not specify what the concerns are. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Monday it's not commenting further at this time.
The politicians are getting involved because stopping work on Revolution Wind threatens local jobs and their states' climate goals, and could drive up electricity prices throughout the region. All of the project's underwater foundations and 45 out of 65 turbines are already installed.
Large, ocean-based wind farms are the linchpin of government plans to shift to renewable energy, particularly in populous East Coast states with limited land for wind turbines or solar arrays.
President Donald Trump has made sweeping strides to prioritize fossil fuels and hinder renewable energy projects. Those include reviewing wind and solar energy permits, canceling plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development and stopping work on another offshore wind project under construction for New York, although construction was later allowed to resume.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is scheduled to go to State Pier in New London, Connecticut, on Monday, where components for the Revolution Wind project are kept before being taken out to sea. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee is headed to North Kingstown, Rhode Island, where the logistics and operations hub for the project is located.
McKee says Revolution Wind is critical to the region’s economy and energy future.
Both governors will be joined by Democratic congressmen and labor leaders. About 1,000 union members have been working on Revolution Wind, and those jobs are now at risk.
Revolution Wind is expected to be Rhode Island and Connecticut’s first large offshore wind farm, capable of powering more than 350,000 homes. Power would be provided at a rate of 9.8 cents per kilowatt hour, locked in for 20 years. That is cheaper than the average cost of electricity in New England.
The developer, Danish energy company Orsted, is evaluating the financial impact of stopping construction and considering legal proceedings.
The project site is more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of the Rhode Island coast, 32 miles (51 kilometers) southeast of the Connecticut coast and 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of Martha’s Vineyard. Rhode Island is already home to one offshore wind farm in state waters, the five-turbine Block Island Wind Farm.
The Trump administration previously stopped work on Empire Wind, the New York offshore wind project. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said it appeared former President Joe Biden’s administration had “rushed through” the approvals, although the developer Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits. Construction was allowed to resume in May after two of the state's Democratic leaders, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, intervened.
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Associated Press writer Isabella O’Malley in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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