United States: Trump administration orders halt to massive offshore wind farm, 80% complete

A huge, well-advanced construction site suddenly shut down: it's reminiscent of the A69 in France . But the comparison ends there with the huge offshore wind farm project off the northeast coast, 80% complete, which the American government has just shut down.

This is the latest in a series of halts imposed on wind energy projects by the administration of Donald Trump, who declared Thursday that "wind doesn't work."

The Revolution Wind project, whose construction began last year after receiving all necessary permits, is expected to power more than 350,000 homes in the state of Rhode Island, according to its builder, the Danish renewable energy company Orsted.

An “exam”

Before any possible resumption of construction, the government is requesting a review to "address concerns regarding the protection of national security interests in the United States," without providing further details.

The manufacturer is "evaluating all options to resolve the matter quickly," including the use of "possible legal proceedings." The wind farm is 80% complete, with 45 of the planned 65 turbines already installed, according to the company, which said it hopes to complete the project by the end of next year.

Shortly after returning to the White House for a second term in January, Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders halting wind power. Among the measures announced, he imposed a freeze on operating permits and federal loans for any offshore or onshore wind projects.

"We are not going to do the wind power thing"

"We're not going to do the wind turbine thing," Donald Trump said in January, saying the turbines were "ugly," "blight the landscape," and "kill whales."

Orsted, a leading offshore wind energy developer, announced Monday that it will raise 60 billion crowns ($9.4 billion) through a securities offering to address the fallout from U.S. decisions freezing wind farm projects.

Empire Wind, another massive offshore wind project off the coast of New York, built by Norway's Equinor, was temporarily halted by the Trump administration in mid-April.