Courtney Statement on Trump Order to Halt Revolution Wind Project, Putting 200 Jobs at Risk
NORWICH, CT – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s order to halt the Revolution Wind offshore wind project:
“The Trump Administration’s order to halt the Revolution Wind project without any warning to the contractor, the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as the building trades unions who have been hard at work on the project for years, is a devastating hit to the economy of southern New England,” Courtney said. “This morning, I have been in contact with Ørsted’s leadership, my colleagues Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo from the state of Rhode Island, New London Mayor Michael Passero, and the building trades who confirmed that this order, if executed, will terminate the jobs of approximately 200 workers in the trades, suppliers, and tug crews. In addition, the order cancels a much-needed expansion of energy capacity for the state of Connecticut at a rate that was negotiated below current wind energy projects.
“The claim by the Administration that national security concerns have arisen is particularly galling given the fact that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the U.S. Coast Guard meticulously analyzed ‘protection of national interests of the United States’ as part of the record of decision years ago. That exhaustive review ensured that transit by Coast Guard vessels and U.S. Navy warships would not be hindered by the final placement of Revolution Wind towers,” Courtney continued. “This project is 80 percent complete. There are good paying jobs that hang in the balance subject to its completion, and the impetuous manner that the order was announced on a late Friday afternoon is the worst way to protect the region’s economy, suppliers, workers, and energy supply.”
BACKGROUND
While the Trump Administration letter to halt the Revolution Wind project cites addressing “concerns related to the protection of national security interests of the United States”, in 2023, a record of decision by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management already analyzed and addressed national security considerations for the project in coordination with the Department of Defense.
