New Haven, CT— Yesterday, the Trump Administration paused five offshore wind projects currently under construction, citing defense concerns. Among these five is Revolution Wind, which was scheduled to begin delivering power to Connecticut and Rhode Island in 2026.
“The administration’s action in halting several offshore wind projects that are currently under construction threatens rather than enhances the nation’s security,” said Charles Rothenberger, Director of Connecticut Government Relations at Save the Sound. “These projects have all successfully passed rigorous federal review by relevant agencies, and the federal courts have consistently struck down the administration’s arbitrary attempts to derail the orderly development of the nation’s wind energy resources.”
Fully-permitted offshore wind projects can begin delivering electricity faster and at lower cost than new gas infrastructure. In fact, gas industry executives report that the price of building new gas turbine generation facilities has tripled over the last three years, with supply backlogs pushing potential completion dates into the 2030s at the earliest. Adding new gas pipeline capacity comes at a staggering cost of approximately $10 million per mile.
The operator of the New England grid, ISO-NE, has warned that delaying Revolution Wind would undermine reliability in the summer and winter peak demand periods. Stopping Revolution Wind threatens rolling blackouts and higher bills for customers.
“The New England Power Generators’ Association (which represents the owners of approximately 95% of the generation capacity in the region) has warned that overturning significant energy investments threatens grid reliability, undermines market stability, and erodes investor confidence across all energy sectors,” Rothenberger added. “By disregarding the need for clear and consistent rules, the administration’s action sets a damaging precedent that will make it harder to finance and plan large energy projects in the future.”
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