Revolution Wind, third US offshore farm, fully operational after legal battles

Revolution Wind, the third offshore wind farm in the United States, has reached full operational status off the coasts of Connecticut and Rhode Island. According to Canary Media, the project represents a $6.2 billion investment in clean energy infrastructure. The facility is designed to generate 704 megawatts of electricity, contributing to the region’s renewable energy capacity.

Construction and Capacity

Revolution Wind reached full capacity generation in October, following the completion of its final turbine installation in September. The project began producing power in the spring, marking the start of its operational phase. The farm comprises a total of 65 turbines, which now generate enough electricity to power more than 350,000 homes across New England. This output allows the facility to meet its designed contribution to regional renewable energy supplies.

Stakeholder Perspectives

Ørsted noted that Revolution Wind generates sufficient power to serve over 350,000 New England households, thereby reinforcing the area’s access to dependable and low-cost electricity. Hillary Bright, the executive director of Turn Forward, emphasized that this initiative delivers a critical increase in large-scale power to the energy-intensive Northeast, introducing a major new generation source that broadens supply options and enhances grid stability for many years to come.

Rhode Island Energy, Eversource Energy, and United Illuminating have contracted to buy the farm’s production.

Legal and Regulatory Hurdles

• Regulatory measures stopped construction twice during the previous year.
• In the month of 2025, the Interior Ministry placed a halt on operations, referencing vague national security risks.
• Federal judicial authority voided this suspension after a single month.
• Toward the end of December, the government body imposed fresh work stops on five active sites, rulings that were later invalidated by the courts.
• In the tenth month, the Interior Ministry sought judicial authorization to review the 2023 construction and operations plan permit.
• The final determination regarding the 2023 authorization is still pending.

Background

Luminity reported on 22 October 2026 that the Department of Justice requested a federal court to remand the construction permit for the New England Wind project, as detailed in an earlier report. That same report noted that the Atlantic Shores facility near New Jersey had been under review since 30 September, while the SouthCoast Wind farm off the Massachusetts coast had been under review since late last year.

Sunrise Wind Progress and Industry Projections

Ørsted announced on Thursday that it has completed the installation of all wind-turbine foundations for the 924-megawatt Sunrise Wind project off Long Island, New York, with full operations expected in the second half of next year. Prior to the current administration, BloombergNEF projected the United States would build 39 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. The firm now expects only 5.9 gigawatts to come online, a figure reflecting projects already completed or under construction at the start of last year.