USA, Connecticut / Rhode Island: Ørsted and Skyborn have been cleared to restart construction on the 704 MW Revolution Wind project off the north-east coast of the United States.
The decision was made by District Judge Royce Lamberth, who granted an injunction against a stop-work order issued by the Trump administration in December. The ruling allows work on the offshore wind farm to continue after months of uncertainty.
Revolution Wind is already close to completion, with around 87 % of the project finished. All offshore foundations are in place and 58 of the planned 65 wind turbines have already been installed.
The stop-work order was part of a wider action taken by the US government in December, which also halted construction on four other offshore wind projects. These included Dominion Energy’s 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.
At the time, the administration said the decision was partly based on national security concerns. Several other developers affected by the order are due to have their legal challenges heard later this week.
This is not the first legal victory for Ørsted and Skyborn on Revolution Wind. In September, Judge Lamberth ruled that an earlier stop-work order on the project was unlawful.
Once completed, Revolution Wind is expected to supply electricity to the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Both states have also launched their own legal challenges against the shutdown.
Source: renews.biz
