Revolution Wind, a 704-megawatt offshore wind farm off Rhode Island, reached commercial operation in October 2026, developer Ørsted said in its third-quarter report on November 5. The project sells its power to utilities in Connecticut and Rhode Island after courts set aside two federal orders that halted construction.
Key points
- Ørsted says the 704 MW Revolution Wind farm reached commercial operation in October 2026 under offtake contracts with Connecticut and Rhode Island utilities.
- Connecticut buys 304 MW of the output and Rhode Island 400 MW, according to the Connecticut energy department.
- The state expects the farm to power about 350,000 homes, or about 2.5% of New England’s electricity supply.
- A federal judge let construction resume on September 22, 2025, and ruled against a second federal pause in January 2026.
- On October 9, 2026, the Interior Department asked a court to send the project’s 2023 plan approval back to the agency for review.
What Ørsted announced
In its report for the first nine months of 2026, Ørsted said it finished installing the remaining turbines at Revolution Wind and that the farm achieved commercial operation in October. The company also said it completed all turbine foundations at Sunrise Wind, its other offshore wind farm under construction in the U.S.
Ørsted’s profit for the period fell by DKK 3.9 billion, which the company attributes mainly to non-cash impairments linked to higher interest rates on its U.S. projects. Ørsted owns Revolution Wind in a joint venture with Skyborn Renewables, the Associated Press reported in September 2025.
How the project got here
Construction began in 2023, and the farm sits about 15 nautical miles southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said in March 2026, when the first power reached the New England grid. All 65 turbines were in place by mid-October, according to Canary Media and Electrek.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Federal stop-work order issued | August 22, 2025 |
| Court lets construction resume | September 22, 2025 |
| Interior pauses five offshore wind projects | December 22, 2025 |
| Court rules against that pause | January 2026 |
| First power to the New England grid | March 2026 |
| All 65 turbines installed | By mid-October 2026 |
| Commercial operation | October 2026 |
The first halt came from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which cited unspecified national security concerns when the project was about 80% complete, the Associated Press reported. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth granted a preliminary injunction in a suit brought by the developers and the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut. In January 2026, Lamberth also ruled against the December 22 pause, which covered five offshore wind projects, according to a statement from Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and to Electrek; we have not seen the ruling itself.
Why it matters
Connecticut’s 304 MW share equals about 5% of the state’s electricity demand, DEEP says. In September 2025, DEEP estimated that the project’s wholesale market savings for New England ratepayers would reach roughly $500 million a year by 2028. Canary Media and Electrek put the project’s cost at $6.2 billion.
Another large U.S. offshore wind farm, Dominion’s project off Virginia, was about 85% complete on October 30, the utility said. For background on the technology, see our overview of wind energy pros and cons.
Other perspectives
- U.S. Department of the Interior. In an October 9 court filing, Interior asked to reconsider its 2023 approval of the project’s construction and operations plan. It argues the approval did not adequately explain how the farm’s impacts square with protections for other ocean uses under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Electrek reports. Interior told reporters it was “complying with a briefing schedule, not announcing a policy change,” Canary Media reports.
- Green Oceans. The Rhode Island group, which opposes offshore wind, brought the 2024 lawsuit behind the filing. It alleges the government cut regulatory corners and violated environmental laws in approving Revolution Wind and South Fork Wind, according to Canary Media.
- State of Connecticut. Attorney General William Tong said “this makes zero sense” and that the state is ready to return to court, Electrek reports.
What’s next
- Judge Lamberth will decide whether to send the plan approval back to Interior; Canary Media reports the legal process could run into early 2027. The filing does not stop the turbines on its own.
- Ørsted is still building Sunrise Wind, where it says all turbine foundations are now installed.
Sources
- Ørsted delivers strong earnings with 19% EBITDA growth, and offshore wind farms Borkum Riffgrund 3 in Germany and Revolution Wind in the US reach commercial operations — Ørsted via Inderes, November 5, 2026
- Governor Lamont and Commissioner Dykes statements on Revolution Wind delivering first power to the New England grid — Connecticut DEEP, March 16, 2026
- Courtney statement after federal judge rules on Revolution Wind project — Office of Rep. Joe Courtney, January 12, 2026
- DEEP: Stoppage of Revolution Wind project will increase costs for CT and New England ratepayers — Connecticut DEEP, September 9, 2025
- Trump goes after an offshore wind farm that’s already up and running — Canary Media, October 13, 2026
- Revolution Wind is powering New England, and Trump is attacking it again — Electrek, October 14, 2026
- Federal judge lifts Trump administration’s halt of nearly complete offshore wind farm in New England — Associated Press via Renewable Energy World, September 23, 2025
