Politics

Trump halts already-approved offshore wind farm

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Trump holds up Revolution Wind The Trump administration is seeking to hold up an already-approved and under-construction offshore wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island. © AP Photo The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in a letter sent to Orsted, saying the...

Aug 25, 2025 - 20:00

0 8

Trump halts already-approved offshore wind farm

{beacon}

Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Trump holds up Revolution Wind

The Trump administration is seeking to hold up an already-approved and under-construction offshore wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in a letter sent to Orsted, saying the stop-work order seeks “to address concerns related to the protection of national security interests of the United States and prevention of interference with reasonable uses of the exclusive economic zone, the high seas, and the territorial seas.”

It did not specify what those concerns are.

“You may not resume activities until BOEM informs you that BOEM has completed its necessary review,” the letter added.

“Americans deserve energy that is affordable, reliable, and built to last — not experimental and expensive wind projects that are proven failures,” Aubrie Spady, deputy press secretary for the Interior Department, told The Hill in an emailed statement on Monday.

Read more here, from The Hill's Amalia Huot-Marchand.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Essential Reads

How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

FEMA staffers warn Trump administration policies weakening disaster response

A group of current and former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees warned Monday that the Trump administration is weakening the disaster response agency’s capacity and preventing it from carrying out its mission.

Full Story

New England grid operator warns Trump’s pause on wind farm risks system’s reliability

The operator of New England’s electric grid warned Monday that the Trump administration’s move to halt a nearly completed offshore wind farm will cause risks to the reliability of the electric grid.

Full Story

Los Angeles area unemployment claims surged following January wildfires: Report

Unemployment claims in the Los Angeles metropolitan area climbed by 12 percent to 17 percent due to the devastating effects of the Palisades and Eaton blazes, which ripped through the region this past January, a new report has found.

Full Story

What We're Reading

News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

Bay Area heat wave smashes records (SFGate)

Trump plans to make Cold War-era plutonium available for nuclear power (Reuters)

What Others are Reading

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Trump admin ‘absolutely forbidden’ from removing Abrego Garcia, judge says

A federal judge on Monday doubled down that the Trump administration is “absolutely forbidden” from removing mistakenly deported man Kilmar Abrego Garcia from the U.S., for now. Read more