Denmark's Ørsted Seeks Court Injunction Against US Government Over Suspended Wind Farm Project.
Ørsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, has filed a court challenge against the Trump administration's decision to suspend its work on a major wind farm project off the coast of Rhode Island. The move comes as part of a wider battle between the US government and the offshore wind industry, which has been dominated by European companies.
The Danish company, 50% owned by the Danish state, had previously raised $9 billion from investors in a rights issue following Trump's attempts to block a rival developer's project. However, the US government then issued a stop-work order against Ørsted's $1.5 billion Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island.
Ørsted claims that the US government's decision to suspend its work on the project was a violation of applicable law and has faced "substantial harm" if the suspension order remains in place. The company is seeking a court injunction against the Trump administration's decision, which it says is a necessary step to protect its rights.
The move comes as President Donald Trump's long-standing animosity toward turbines and his focus on US fossil fuels continue to put pressure on the offshore wind industry. Ørsted has faced a series of political and economic challenges amid attacks from the administration against an industry that has been dominated by European companies rather than US players.
A turbine blade is lifted into place at the Revolution Wind assembly site in Connecticut, US
Ørsted's shares rose over 4% in morning trading on Friday following news of its court challenge. The company's troubles predate Trump's administration, however, and it had to walk away from two large projects in the US last year due to rising costs that have affected the entire industry.
The White House has defended the decision to suspend all large-scale offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns. "For years, Americans have been forced to pay billions more for the least reliable source of energy," said a spokesperson for the White House.
Ørsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, has filed a court challenge against the Trump administration's decision to suspend its work on a major wind farm project off the coast of Rhode Island. The move comes as part of a wider battle between the US government and the offshore wind industry, which has been dominated by European companies.
The Danish company, 50% owned by the Danish state, had previously raised $9 billion from investors in a rights issue following Trump's attempts to block a rival developer's project. However, the US government then issued a stop-work order against Ørsted's $1.5 billion Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island.
Ørsted claims that the US government's decision to suspend its work on the project was a violation of applicable law and has faced "substantial harm" if the suspension order remains in place. The company is seeking a court injunction against the Trump administration's decision, which it says is a necessary step to protect its rights.
The move comes as President Donald Trump's long-standing animosity toward turbines and his focus on US fossil fuels continue to put pressure on the offshore wind industry. Ørsted has faced a series of political and economic challenges amid attacks from the administration against an industry that has been dominated by European companies rather than US players.
A turbine blade is lifted into place at the Revolution Wind assembly site in Connecticut, US
Ørsted's shares rose over 4% in morning trading on Friday following news of its court challenge. The company's troubles predate Trump's administration, however, and it had to walk away from two large projects in the US last year due to rising costs that have affected the entire industry.
The White House has defended the decision to suspend all large-scale offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns. "For years, Americans have been forced to pay billions more for the least reliable source of energy," said a spokesperson for the White House.
... I mean, come on, the Trump admin is just trying to stifle innovation and progress! Those "national security concerns" are just a bunch of BS. We all know what's really at play here – fossil fuel industry lobby groups trying to protect their own interests. The fact that Ørsted has already raised billions from investors and faced economic challenges before Trump even took office is totally irrelevant. What matters is that they're pushing boundaries and investing in renewable energy, which is the future of our planet 
... so yeah, I think Ørsted should totally get their wind farm project back on track 
. Like, I get that they're trying to protect their interests and all, but shouldn't they have seen this coming with Trump's whole "anti-turbine" vibe? 
It's like, if you're going to invest $9 billion in a wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island, aren't you kinda prepared for some pushback from the admin? 
Plus, isn't offshore wind supposed to be some kind of key player in America's energy future? 
Guess Ørsted's gonna have to spend some serious cash on lawyers to figure this one out 
.
what's going on with the US government?? can't they just support clean energy like everyone else?? Ørsted is such an amazing company and they're just fighting against the system 
i feel bad for them, 1.5 billion dollars is a lot of money 
. like turbines are gonna blow up and hurt us or something? please. this is just a ploy to keep big oil in power and control the energy market 
. i'm gonna keep an eye on this one, for sure 
.
the whole thing is just so... politicized it feels like the gov's more concerned with sticking it to European companies than actually addressing any real issues
that's gotta be tough on their bottom line but I guess they'd rather go to court and fight it out than just roll over
The White House's defense about national security concerns is just a joke, imo. Who thinks turbines are a threat to national security? 
Ørsted's fighting back against that US government move 
is a big deal. I mean, who doesn't love turbines, right? 
But seriously, it's not just about the money (although $9 billion is a lot!) – this is about whether or not the Trump admin can just shut down an entire industry based on some national security concerns 
– they're not just talking about their own project, they're talking about the entire future of offshore wind in the US! 
I mean, come on @Trump, turbines aren't gonna take over the world (at least not yet 
) so chill out! The US is already lagging behind in clean energy, let's not scare away investors 
like what even is going on in DC 
Ørsted has been around since forever, they're not just some tiny startup trying to make a quick buck. this whole situation feels super political 
like, can't we just focus on renewable energy already? 
the US is behind the curve when it comes to offshore wind and it's only going to get worse if trump keeps making decisions like this... 
I gotta say, this is gonna be a long and messy battle... 
, but if the Trump admin is gonna block this project, shouldn't it be about protecting US jobs rather than fossil fuels? 
Trump's fossil fuel bias is killing innovation in the US! 
The fact is, wind energy is becoming increasingly cost-effective and we need to start investing in it ASAP.
I mean, I've heard it's way cleaner and more efficient than fossil fuels 
. Anyway, Ørsted's shares are up after this news, which is good for them 
... hope they can get that court injunction and keep their project going 
. The thing is, these big oil companies have been playing dirty games with regulations and stuff for years... it's about time someone stood up to 'em 
I mean, they've already got like $9 billion invested in it and then BAM, stop-work order. It's like if someone came to your house and said "sorry, you have to tear down this thing you spent all your money on"... not cool.
It's not like Ørsted is just some company trying to make a quick buck, they're actually helping reduce carbon emissions and all that.
️. It's like they want the US to stay stuck in the dark ages 
. The fact that Ørsted is seeking a court injunction just goes to show how serious this industry player is about defending its rights 
It's now over 280 GW, with the US being one of the biggest markets 
. I mean, come on, Trump's administration is basically shooting itself in the foot 
. But seriously, this whole thing is just a symptom of a larger issue: the US government's lack of vision for its energy future