Revolution Wind Faces Legal Battle as Lease Suspension Threatens Project Completion

Revolution Wind LLC, a joint venture between Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables and Ørsted (LON: 0RHE), is escalating its fight against a lease suspension order issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

The company filed a supplemental complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, with plans to follow with a motion for a preliminary injunction.

The move comes after Revolution Wind secured all necessary federal and state permits in 2023, following a comprehensive review process spanning over nine years.

The project maintains that the lease suspension order violates applicable law and poses substantial harm, mirroring the impact of the previous stop-work order issued in August 2025. Litigation is viewed as a necessary step to protect the rights of the project.

Revolution Wind says it has invested billions in the project to date, relying on a thorough review process that included extensive consultations with the U.S. Department of War Military Aviation and Installation Assurance Siting Clearinghouse.

These consultations resulted in a formal agreement outlining mitigation measures to address potential impacts on national security and defense capabilities. Approvals were also secured from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries Service, and other agencies.

The Revolution Wind project is in advanced stages of construction, with approximately 87% of the work complete. All offshore foundations and 58 of 65 wind turbines have been installed, along with the completion of export cable installation and the installation of both offshore substations. The project was slated to begin generating power in January 2026 before the suspension.

The project is designed to bolster electric grid reliability in the Northeast, providing affordable power to over 350,000 homes under 20-year power purchase agreements with utilities in Connecticut and Rhode Island. It is also intended to support the growing power needs of data centers and AI facilities. The independent grid operator, ISO-NE, has warned that halting the project could increase electricity costs and lower reliability for the region.

Revolution Wind claims to have supported thousands of American jobs across various sectors, including construction, operations, shipbuilding, and manufacturing. More than 1,000 union jobs have contributed 2 million work hours to the project.

The project is an integral part of Ørsted’s broader investment in American energy generation, grid upgrades, and port infrastructure, with a supply chain extending to over 40 states.

Sunrise Wind LLC, a separate project and wholly owned subsidiary of Ørsted, also received a lease suspension order. The company continues to evaluate all options to resolve the matter, including engagement with relevant agencies and stakeholders and considering legal proceedings. The outcome of Revolution Wind's legal challenge could set a precedent for Sunrise Wind and other offshore wind projects facing similar regulatory hurdles.