The Interior Department has asked a federal court to send back a key permit for Revolution Wind, an offshore wind farm that is already generating electricity off Connecticut and Rhode Island. The October 9 filing seeks to remand the agency's 2023 approval of the project's construction and operations plan, adding another layer of legal uncertainty to a $6.2 billion project that began producing power in March and had its last of 65 turbines installed in September.
The move does not immediately halt operations, but experts say the legal process could stretch into early next year. At full capacity, Revolution Wind is expected to power over 350,000 homes and help ease grid stress during heat waves and winter cold snaps in the Northeast. The filing stems from a lawsuit by the anti-wind group Green Oceans, which challenged federal approvals for Revolution Wind and Ørsted's South Fork Wind. Interior now says it agrees the permits should be remanded.
Advocates and environmental groups criticized the administration's action. Pasha Feinberg of the Natural Resources Defense Council called it part of a broader "war on clean energy," questioning why the administration would consider revoking a permit for a project that is helping keep electricity bills in check for residents of Connecticut and Rhode Island. The judge overseeing the case, Royce Lamberth, has previously sided with offshore wind developers in disputes over stop-work orders.