US offshore wind backlash grows as Empire, Revolution Wind sue Trump admin [update]

Two more offshore wind developers are suing the Trump administration after it abruptly ordered construction to stop on offshore wind projects that were already nearing completion – the first ruling is in.

January 12, 2026: Judge Royce Lamberth of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled today that the US Department of the Interior’s suspension order of Revolution Wind was “arbitrary and capricious,” in violation of federal law, and that construction can resume.

Lamberth stated that the Interior Department did not adequately explain how Revolution Wind posed a security risk.

Ørsted said it would resume construction as soon as possible.

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January 2: On January 1, Revolution Wind filed a supplemental complaint in federal court in Washington, DC, challenging the Interior Department’s December 22 lease suspension order. Today, Equinor’s Empire Wind followed with its own lawsuit, also seeking a preliminary injunction that would allow construction to continue while the case plays out.

The two lawsuits are helping to create a fast‑growing legal pileup over Interior’s decision to halt offshore construction on five US wind farms currently under construction: Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind; Vineyard Wind 1 in Massachusetts; Revolution Wind, which serves Rhode Island and Connecticut; and Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind in New York. Dominion was the first developer to sue, filing its complaint on December 23.

Revolution Wind

Revolution Wind is a 50/50 joint venture between Ørsted and Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables. The developers argue that the lease suspension violates federal law and poses a major, immediate threat to a project that is nearly complete. Revolution Wind says it secured all required federal and state permits in 2023 after a review process that stretched more than nine years and included extensive consultation with the Department of Defense over national security and radar concerns. Those talks resulted in a formal mitigation agreement with the Department of Defense and the Department of the Air Force.

Construction on Revolution Wind is about 87% complete. All offshore foundations are installed, 58 of 65 turbines are already in place, export cable installation is finished, and both offshore substations are installed. The project was on track to start generating power as early as January 2026, before the stop-work order was issued.

Once online, Revolution Wind is expected to deliver electricity to more than 350,000 homes under 20‑year power purchase agreements with utilities in Rhode Island and Connecticut. The developers say halting the project risks higher power prices and lower grid reliability in the Northeast, especially as demand from data centers and AI continues to grow.

Empire Wind

Empire Wind’s lawsuit makes many of the same arguments. Equinor says the Interior order is unlawful and could trigger serious commercial and financing impacts if it remains in place. The company plans to seek a preliminary injunction so work can continue during what it describes as a critical phase of construction.

Empire Wind has coordinated with federal agencies on national security reviews since signing its lease in 2017, including ongoing engagement with the Department of Defense and regular meetings with the US Coast Guard and other marine responders, according to the filing.

The project is being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to supply a near‑term source of power for New York’s grid. Once it’s online, Empire Wind is expected to generate enough electricity to power about 500,000 homes.

Empire Wind is more than 60% complete and represents a multibillion‑dollar investment in US energy infrastructure. Equinor has invested more than $4 billion to date, with $2.7 billion already drawn down under project financing. As of September 30, 2025, the project carried a gross book value of roughly $3.1 billion, including the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, whose redevelopment has supported nearly 4,000 construction jobs.

Ørsted’s Sunrise Wind project has not yet filed suit but says it is evaluating all options, including legal action.

Electrek’s Take

These multi-billion-dollar projects spent nearly a decade clearing federal reviews, coordinating with the Department of Defense, and securing long‑term power contracts, only to be sucker-punched by vague claims about national security that agencies had already approved years ago. The result isn’t just lawsuits; it’s soaring costs for both companies and consumers, a shakier grid, and a clear message to investors that even fully permitted US energy projects aren’t safe from political whiplash.

Read more: Trump admin sued for halting work on the US’s largest offshore wind farm

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