Pause on Revolution Wind project draws mixed reaction in Rhode Island

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) — Emotions were high in Quonset on Monday, as Rhode Island union leaders and the state’s congressional delegation lamented the Trump administration’s pause on the Revolution Wind project.

Gov. Dan McKee called the pause an “attack on Rhode Islanders.”

In a letter to leadership at Ørsted Friday, the acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said the Department of Interior wants concerns addressed before any work can resume.

Acting Director Matthew Giacona said these concerns have been identified as part of a review of offshore wind projects mandated by the president.

Specific concerns include protection of the environment and national security interests, Giacona said.

Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the project was previously approved by the Department of Defense in 2024.

“It’s not about national security, it’s about the president’s insecurity,” Reed said. “You know what is a threat to our national security? Oil that is controlled by OPEC and foreign countries that have animosity toward us.”

But as the state’s entirely Democratic congressional delegation expresses frustration with the pause, some local Republicans said they are pleased to see it happening.

Sen. Jessica de la Cruz, the minority leader in the Rhode Island Senate, said she hears from constituents that cannot afford their electric bills every day, and blamed Democratic policies for the high costs.

“An evaluation of subsidies, pricing practices, and potential security risks is in the best interest of all Rhode Islanders, not just those who stand to gain financially from offshore wind projects,” de la Cruz said in a statement shared with ABC6 News.

Gov. McKee’s office said the move to halt the project threatens thousands of jobs in Rhode Island, and could lead to higher electric costs.

“People are struggling to pay their utility bills, and energy costs are going to be a burden on our businesses and our residents if we don’t do something,” McKee said. “Rhode Island and Connecticut are counting on this energy to bring down costs for our residents.”

Orsted said the 704-megawatt offshore wind farm was set to generate enough energy to power 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Joe Powers, the chairman of the Republican Party of Rhode Island, said he believes the pause is a win for common sense.

“The promise of powering 300,000 homes was always a myth. Without continuous wind and massive storage, which we don’t have, it’s fiction,” Powers said in a statement to ABC6 News.

Orsted said the project is 80 percent complete, with 45 of 65 wind turbines installed.

The project site is 15 miles south of Rhode Island’s coast.

“This is a blow to Rhode Island; it is a deliberate blow,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said. “It’s also collateral damage. We’re just in the way of this president wanting to serve his fossil fuel donors.”

A spokesperson for Ørsted said Friday the company is considering legal proceedings as it evaluates its options.