Neronha cited a
New York Times report Wednesday that the White House has instructed a half-dozen federal agencies, including Health and Human Services, “to draft plans to thwart the country’s offshore wind industry.”
“Does this sound like a federal government that is prioritizing the American people?” he asked in the statement. “This is bizarre, this is unlawful, this is potentially devastating, and we won’t stand by and watch it happen.”
Tong said, “With zero justification, Trump wants to mothball the project, send workers home, and saddle Connecticut families with millions of dollars in higher energy costs. This kind of erratic and reckless governing is blatantly illegal, and we’re suing to stop it.”
Neronha and Tong said the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management issued a stop-work order on Aug. 22 without identifying any violation of law or imminent threat to safety. Rather, they said, the order “abstractly” cites the bureau’s authority to stop the work to address unidentified “concerns.”
The complaint claims that “arbitrary and capricious government conduct” violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the government’s authority under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.
Revolution Wind is expected to reduce Rhode Island’s greenhouse gas emissions by 11 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, the statement said. “Without this reduction, it will become extremely difficult for Rhode Island to meet its Act on Climate greenhouse gas emission reduction mandates,” the statement read, noting Rhode Island is supposed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Neronha and Tong predicted the stop-work order would hurt the economies of Rhode Island and Connecticut, saying the project’s construction phase supports more than 2,500 jobs nationwide, including 1,000 union jobs in Rhode Island and Connecticut. And they said that once the project is complete, 86 full-time jobs are anticipated to staff Revolution Wind operations in Rhode Island.
Also, Neronha and Tong said halting Revolution Wind may harm energy reliability.
They noted the regional transmission organization has warned that halting Revolution Wind will
undermine the reliability of New England’s power grid. In a statement, ISO New England said Revolution Wind has committed to helping meet New England’s demand for electricity, beginning in 2026, and the project has been included in the analysis of future grid reliability. “Delaying the project will increase risks to reliability,” ISO New England said.