The embattled U.S. offshore wind industry cleared two more hurdles Friday as the 700-MW Revolution Wind offshore Rhode Island became the third offshore wind project to start delivering power, and the 800-MW Vineyard Wind 1 offshore Massachusetts completed construction.
Both projects faced delays after President Donald Trump issued a Dec. 22 blanket stop work order halting construction on all five offshore wind projects under development in federal waters, citing national security concerns. Federal judges ultimately ruled in favor of all five projects, allowing them to resume.
Revolution Wind previously won an injunction against a September stop work order from Trump which specifically targeted that project and also cited national security concerns. The project is being developed by Ørsted and Global Infrastructure Partners' Skyborn Renewables.
The project is close to completion and “is expected to supply enough electricity to power more than 350,000 homes and businesses,” Ørsted said. “The project will deliver power under fixed-price, 20-year agreements with energy utilities in Rhode Island and Connecticut.”
On Friday, Vineyard Wind 1 completed physical construction by installing its final turbine, The New Bedford Light reported – though some turbines still have to undergo commissioning and testing before they’re brought online. Vineyard Wind 1 is currently delivering power to Massachusetts’ grid. The project is the largest to complete construction in the U.S. so far.
“This marks a significant advancement for the U.S. market that currently has a single, fully operational commercial-scale wind farm,” the Oceantic Network said in a Saturday release. That farm is the 130-MW South Fork Wind, which began delivering power to Long Island in early 2024.
