Revolution Wind is a 704 MW capacity offshore wind farm under construction off the coast of Rhode Island. The wind farm is located 15 nautical miles (28 km) southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island, 32 nautical miles (59 km) southeast of Connecticut, and 12 nautical miles (22 km) southwest of Martha's Vineyard. Revolution Wind is located on the Outer Continental Shelf, in a federally-managed lease area (OCS-A 0486) governed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The lease area was acquired by Deepwater Wind New England in 2020, and subsequently segregated into Revolution Wind and South Fork Wind (OCS-A 0517). In August 2025, as part of the Trump Administration's anti-wind-power campaign, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a stop-work order for construction at Revolution Wind, citing national security interests. In September 2025 a federal judge ruled that work could continue while the court case challenging the order file by the developer Ørsted US Offshore Wind proceeded.
The project originated as a joint venture between Ørsted, a Danish renewable energy company, and Eversource. In February, 2024, Eversource sold its 50 percent ownership to Global Investment Partners (GIP). The project is currently managed in partnership between Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables, a GIP portfolio company.
Revolution Wind will be composed of 65 Siemens Gamesa 11.0-200 DD turbines, each with a rated capacity of 11 MW. Power generated by these turbines is sent to the grid through a system of submarine cables, which connects to the onshore point of interconnection at Rhode Island's Quonset Business Park, located in North Kingstown. Energy is then sent through underground cables to Revolution's Davisville onshore substation. The project is the first multi-state offshore wind farm in the United States. It has signed two Power-Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to sell electricity to Rhode Island (400 MW) and Connecticut (304 MW). According to the developer, the project will generate enough electricity to meet the annual consumption of approximately 350,000 homes and will contribute to the creation of "1,200 direct construction jobs and thousands more indirect and induced jobs through investments in the local economy." Rhode Island state officials and Revolution Wind believe that the project will help the Rhode Island achieve its stated goal of reaching 100% renewable energy by 2033. According to Chris Kearns, the Commissioner of the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, Revolution Wind is crucial to the success of Rhode Island's Act on Climate, which aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Revolution Wind's development process spans over 15 years, from beginning environmental assessment in 2011, to securing the lease in 2013, and acquiring approvals and beginning construction in 2023. The first turbine was successfully installed in September 2024. According to the developer, Revolution Wind's turbines are expected to be fully operating in Q2 2026. BOEM issued a stop work order for Revolution Wind's construction in August 2025. In September 2025, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that the stop-work order was likely unlawful; by October, Ørsted announced that work had fully resumed and reaffirmed a Q2 2026 completion date.
Development timeline Source:
The development of an offshore wind project requires the execution of various processes, including but not to limited to site assessments, project design, lease acquisition, regulatory approval, stakeholder engagement, securing PPAs to sell electricity, construction, and operation. 2011 marks the beginning of efforts to secure Revolution Wind's lease area. Construction of Revolution Wind began in 2023, and 2026 is the year of projected operation. +Early Development & Planning August - October 2011: Period of Call for Information and Nominations, Notice of Intent (NOI) for environmental assessment. February 2012: BOEM designates the Rhode Island/Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (WEA). June 2013: Environmental assessment for WEA announces finding of no significant impact (FONSI). July 2013: Deepwater Wind New England LLC winds auction for two leases in the WEA.Environmental Review & Permitting April 2016: Site Assessment Plan (SAP) for Lease Area OCS-A 0486 is filed. December 2018: Ørsted signs two Power-Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for 200 and 104 MW with CT utility companies Eversource and United Illuminating, approved by the Connecticut Public Utility Commission. May 2019: Ørsted signs a 300 MW-PPA with Rhode Island's National Grid utility company, approved by the Rhode Island Public Utility Commission. March 2020: Initial version of the Constructions and Operations Plan (COP) is submitted. March 2020: BOEM approves the segregation of Lease Area OCS-A 0486 into two leases: OCS-A 0486 for Revolution Wind and OCS-A 0517 for South Fork Wind Farm. September 2022: BOEM issues a notice of availability (NOA), allowing public feedback and hearings regarding the overview of the proposed project. The public feedback period ended October 17, 2022. July 2023: The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is published based on the March 2023 version of the COP.Record of Decision & Approvals August 2023: Joint Record of Decision (ROD) is signed by BOEM, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). October 2023: Ørsted and Eversource take FID (Final Investment Decision) for Revolution Wind. November 2023: BOEM approves the final COP for the Revolution Wind Farm and Revolution Wind Export Cable Project.Construction & Installation August 2023: Construction begins on Revolution Wind. February 2024: Eversource sold its 50% stake in Revolution Wind to Skyborn Renewables, a Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) portfolio company. September 2024: First turbine is installed. August 2025: Work halted by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. September 2025: Work resumes following federal judge lifting the stop work order. Q2 2026: Anticipated year of project operation.
Lease Area
Location
The Revolution Wind project is located in Lease Area OCS-A 0486, an 83,798-acre area 15 nautical miles south of Rhode Island, 32 nautical miles southeast of Connecticut, and 12 nautical miles southwest of Martha's Vineyard. The lease area is part of the Rhode Island/Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (RI/MA WEA), a 164,750 acre "area of mutual interest." The project makes landfall at Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The landfall cable connects to the existing Davisville Substation via underground transmission cables.
History of Lease Area BOEM is required by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to award offshore wind lease areas competitively, through a "Call for Information and Nominations" process. In August 2011, BOEM initiated a "Call" for the Outer Continental Shelf of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The public comment period for the "Call" closed in October 2011, resulting in eight "indications of interest." In July 2012, BOEM released an Environmental Assessment (EA) to determine the environmental impacts of leasing and performing site characterization in a Wind Energy Area (WEA). On June 4, 2013, BOEM issued a "Finding of No Significant Impact" (FONSI), which determined that the leasing activities within the WEA would not cause a significant impact on the environment. BOEM published a Proposed Sale Notice for the Rhode Island/Massachusetts WEA on December 3, 2012.
On July 31, 2013, BOEM successfully auctioned the area—split into two lease areas—in the United States' first competitive lease sale. The sale received "$3,838,288 in high bids," and the auction lasted one day. Deepwater Wind New England LLC won both leases. The WEA was split into the North Lease Area (OCS-A 0486), totaling 97,500 acres, and the South Lease Area (OCS-A 0487), 67,250 acres. Deepwater Wind did not conduct site assessment activity for the South Lease Area (OCS-A 0487).
On March 23, 2020, BOEM approved an application to assign the 13,700 acres of OCS-A 0468 to Deepwater Wind South Fork LLC, which is now OCS-A 0517. The remaining 83,798 acres of OCS-A 0468 were assigned to DWW Rev I. Deepwater Wind South Fork LLC changed its name to South Fork Wind LLC, and DWW Rev I changed its name to Revolution Wind LLC.
Revolution Wind has a 25-year term of operations from the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) approval date, November 17, 2023.
Regulatory & permitting process
Site Assessment Plan (SAP) The Revolution Wind project underwent extensive regulatory approvals between 2020 and 2023, led by BOEM as the primary federal agency responsible for offshore wind project permitting. The regulatory review process involved multiple federal, state, and local agencies to ensure compliance with environmental, navigational, and energy-related regulations. In offshore wind projects, the SAP functions as an evaluation tool used to assess potential design, layout, and engineering considerations concerning a particular site. In 2016, prior to regulatory approvals, the Site Assessment Plan (SAP) for Lease Area OCS-A 0486 was filed. Once BOEM approved the segregation of Lease Area OCS-A 0486 into two leases, OCS-A 0486 for Revolution Wind and OCS-A 0517 for South Fork Wind Farm, the SAP for Revolution Wind was approved in 2020. Following the SAP, Revolution Wind developrs submitted its initial Construction and Operations Plan (COP) in 2020 received approval from BOEM in 2023. Following the COP, BOEM releases a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) BOEM played a central role in the permitting process by reviewing and ultimately approving the project's COP. The initial COP was submitted on October 30, 2020, with subsequent updates provided in April 2021, December 2021, July 2022, and March 2023. The COP approval process included extensive environmental and technical evaluations to assess the project's impact on marine ecosystems, navigation, cultural resources, and other key areas. The COP process is informed by various assessment processes through the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Permitting.
Endangered Species Act & Marine Mammal Protection Act Approvals The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducted a biological assessment under the ESA and issued a Letter of Authorization (LOA) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during construction and operation. This decision followed an extensive review process that evaluated potential risks to species such as the North Atlantic right whale, requiring mitigation measures such as seasonal construction restrictions, vessel speed limits, and noise reduction technologies. Additionally, NMFS completed an Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Consultation to evaluate the impact of construction on fish populations and aquatic habitats, leading to recommendations for monitoring and mitigation measures.
Clean Water Act & Rivers and Harbors Act Permits The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was responsible for reviewing the project's compliance with the Clean Water Act (Section 404) and the Rivers and Harbors Act (Section 10). The Individual Permit issued by USACE approved dredging, seabed modifications, and the placement of infrastructure in navigable waters. The FEIS evaluated sediment disturbance, water quality, and potential impacts to benthic habitats, leading to specific conditions for dredging and material disposal to minimize environmental harm.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Permitting