The states of Connecticut and Rhode Island have filed a request for a preliminary injunction in federal court, seeking to overturn the Trump administration’s order to halt work on Ørsted’s 704-megawatt Revolution Wind offshore project.
In a court filing, the two states argued that the August stop-work directive “threatens to imminently and irreparably harm Rhode Island and Connecticut,” and urged the court to allow the project to proceed.
Revolution Wind is a key part of both states’ renewable energy procurement strategies. The project, located off the coast of southern New England, has already received several state-level approvals and was scheduled to begin construction activities ahead of planned operation later this decade.
Attorneys for the states said the stop-work order lacked legal justification and violated federal administrative and offshore leasing laws.
“U.S. administrative law and laws governing the administration of the outer continental shelf do not permit such arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful government conduct,” the filing stated. “They demand reasoned decision-making, fidelity to statutory limits, and respect for the settled expectations of sovereign States and regulated parties.”
The states also noted that the federal government did not cite any violations of law or imminent safety risks in its order.
The motion argues that halting the project undermines both states’ legally mandated emission reduction targets, disrupts contractual obligations for clean energy procurement, and leads to “avoidable and irreparable pollution.”
The Trump administration has not publicly commented on the court filing. The case is now pending before a federal district judge.
