Landmark offshore wind farms come online in the U.S.

By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron

Two offshore wind farms that were targeted by the Trump administration are making strides toward providing clean energy for the East Coast.

One installation, Revolution Wind, came online last week, marking a significant milestone for the U.S. renewable energy industry. Meanwhile Vineyard Wind, another wind energy project targeted by the Trump administration that has already been generating power, had its final blade installed, according to reporting from the New Bedford Light.

Revolution Wind, which is situated off the coast of Rhode Island, will deliver power to the Rhode Island–Connecticut region, the company developing the project announced in a recent press release.

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Revolution Wind is one of several offshore wind projects to come under fire from the Trump administration in recent months: last December the administration announced a pause on leases for Revolution Wind, Vineyard Wind and three other wind farm projects being built off the East Coast, citing national security concerns about the installations potentially interfering with radar. Before then, wind energy advocates anticipated that some 5.8 gigawatts’ worth of new offshore wind energy would be constructed between 2025 and 2029.

Notably, President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized wind energy, describing wind turbines as “ugly” and claiming without evidence that offshore wind is harming whales.

Now, after a legal battle, Revolution Wind is up and running. Once it’s at full capacity, the farm will be capable of powering more than 350,000 homes and businesses and will save residents $500 million per year in energy costs, according to Danish offshore wind company Ørsted, which developed Revolution Wind with Germany-based Skyborn Renewables, an offshoot of Global Infrastructure Partners.

Vineyard Wind was reportedly 95 percent complete when the Trump administration forced it to pause its operations last December. In January a judge allowed construction to resume.

The three other targeted wind projects—which are located off the coast of Virginia and New York State—have also been allowed to resume construction, with one of those projects, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, expected to begin generating electricity as early as this month, Canary Media reports.

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