by Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current
March 16, 2026
Rhode Island’s electric grid now includes some power from its first utility-scale offshore wind project, Revolution Wind, project developers announced Friday night.
The initial power delivery is not the final achievement: The 65-turbine project is 93% complete and not expected to hit its full 704-megawatt nameplate capacity until the second half of the year. However, the initial test of connection to the region’s electric grid marks an important benchmark, especially after two attempts by the Trump administration to block the project’s completion.
“Today’s milestone marks an important step forward for Rhode Island’s energy future,” Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement Friday night. “Offshore wind is part of our state’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, one that strengthens our energy supply and supports long-term reliability for residents and businesses.”
The initial power delivery appears on schedule with the prior timeline, despite two separate pauses forced by the Trump administration. The project was first put on hold in August 2025, with federal energy regulators unexpectedly demanding a review for national security concerns, despite having already completed a comprehensive review of project impacts nearly two years earlier. The stop work order was overturned by a federal judge in D.C. in September in response to one of two lawsuits filed by developers and state attorneys general.
Then, three days before Christmas, came another suspension order, targeting Revolution Wind and four other projects in various stages of construction along the East Coast. The same federal judge, Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court in D.C., again overruled Trump’s order in January, letting work on Revolution Wind resume. The other projects — Vineyard Wind, Sunrise Wind, Empire Wind and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind — were also allowed to resume work following separate lawsuits filed by the project developers.
Vineyard Wind 1, a 62-turbine project being built off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, installed its final blade on Friday, marking the completion of what is now the largest offshore wind project in the country, developers said.
The slightly smaller Revolution Wind project is expected to become fully operational by the end of the year, providing enough electricity to power 350,000 homes across Rhode Island and Connecticut. Environmental advocates hail the project as a critical part of meeting Rhode Island’s decarbonization mandates under the 2021 Act on Climate law, along with protecting ratepayers against seasonal fluctuations and capacity constraints for natural gas.
Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection projects that New England ratepayers will save $500 million a year on wholesale energy costs from Revolution Wind.
“Bringing the first power from Revolution Wind online is a truly meaningful step for Rhode Island and the region,” Greg Cornett, president of Rhode Island Energy, said in a statement. “At a time when resources are needed more than ever, this project adds important diversity to our energy mix and contributes added capacity to support the reliability our customers expect, particularly during periods of high demand.”
Executives at Orsted, the Danish co-developer of the project, also touted the 2,000 mostly union jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars invested in port infrastructure, workforce training and vessel contracts.
“Built by local, highly skilled union workers, Revolution Wind is a testament to states tapping their energy resources to strengthen regional energy security and contribute to American energy dominance,” Amanda Dash, chief development officer at Orsted, said in a statement. “By producing more power here at home, we reduce dependence on imports, create local jobs, and support long-term economic growth.”
While the blowback of Trump’s anti-wind sentiment did not affect project timing, it cut into Orsted’s expected returns on the $5 billion project. The company reported project impairments of $76.9 million and $10 million in the third and fourth quarters of 2025, respectively, tied largely to the federal suspension orders. The Danish renewable energy giant still ended the year in the black, with upward regulations of Revolution Wind thanks to divestment proceeds and favorable interest rates. But company executives have also made clear they are looking outside the U.S. for future investments, honing in on Asia and Europe as sources of business growth.
Investors and industry forecasters have also taken a dim view of the industry’s future in the U.S. under Trump. The court-ordered preliminary injunction allowing work to resume on Revolution Wind is a temporary measure, still subject to challenge or appeal by federal regulators.
Orsted CEO Rasmus Errboe acknowledged the continued uncertainty in an earnings call with investors in February, and said the company is working with the Trump administration to “achieve an expeditious and durable solution.”
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