Construction of US wind project stopped citing national security
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
The administration of US President Donald Trump has halted work on the Revolution Wind project, an offshore wind farm near the coast of Rhode Island. The White House cited national security concerns, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Revolution Wind offshore wind farm was being constructed near the Rhode Island coast.
The Danish wind farm developer Ørsted stated that the project is approximately 80% complete, with 45 of the 65 turbines already installed.
Despite the project’s level of completion and the fact that it had undergone years of federal and state reviews, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued an order to halt it.
The agency stated that the federal government needs to review the project and address issues related to the protection of US national security interests. The specific nature of the threat was not disclosed.
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee criticized the order, saying that he and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont will use every avenue to overturn the decision to halt work on Revolution Wind. Both governors are Democrats.
Importance of wind energy
Construction of Revolution Wind began in 2023 and was set to become the first major offshore wind project for Rhode Island and Connecticut. It was expected to provide electricity to over 350,000 households.
As densely populated states have limited space for onshore energy projects, an offshore wind farm is considered critical for the states to achieve their climate goals.
Wind energy is the largest source of renewable energy in the US, supplying about 10% of the country’s electricity.
This is the second major wind energy project halted by the White House. The first was Empire Wind in New York, which resumed construction after intervention by Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Kathy Hochul.
Which countries meet their energy needs with renewables
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported on countries that fully cover their energy needs with renewable sources. Nearly 100% of their energy comes from renewables in Albania, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Iceland, Nepal, Paraguay, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Another 40 countries, including 11 in Europe, generate at least half of their electricity from renewable sources.
