Trump administration says CT wind project could encourage another Sept. 11-style attack
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Revolution Wind creates "national security risks" when pressed by News 12. The administration is trying to revoke the project's permit, despite it being weeks away from completion.
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What does a Connecticut offshore wind farm have to do with Sept. 11?
A lot, according to the Trump administration.
When News 12 pressed U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum about the agency’s latest push to block Revolution Wind – a $6 billion project set to power 350,000 homes by the end of this year – he said the project could lead to a 9/11-style terrorist attack.
NEW PUSH TO STOP PROJECT
This is the administration’s third attempt to block Revolution Wind.
In a new court filing, the Department of Interior asked a federal judge for permission to revoke approval for the project, which was granted in 2023 under the Biden administration.
“The Revolution Wind Project will unquestionably have adverse impacts on the environment, historic properties, and [National Historic Landmarks],” according to the filing.
The move comes just weeks after the final turbine was installed off the Rhode Island shoreline. Electricity began flowing in March, and developer Ørsted expects the full 704-megawatt capacity to come online within two months. The project is expected to supply 5% of Connecticut’s electric demand, according to Gov. Ned Lamont’s office.
Revolution Wind has also created 1,200 construction jobs at the State Pier in New London, where the turbines were assembled and shipped.
“NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS”
Burgum offered a different explanation this week.
“They do represent national security risks,” he told News 12. “They create ‘radar shadows’ and if someone wanted to attack our country, as they did 25 years ago … if a terror attack was to occur today, it would likely be a swarm of drones coming in at the height of an offshore wind tower.”
But federal courts already rejected that argument twice, allowing Revolution Wind to proceed. Calling the delay “arbitrary and capricious,” U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth blasted the Interior Department for offering contradictory reasons for a stop-work order last summer.
“There is no question in my mind of irreparable harm to the plaintiff,” said Lamberth, a Reagan appointee. “If Revolution Wind cannot meet benchmark deadlines, the entire project could collapse.”
Lambeth will consider the administration’s latest request.
GOVERNOR CANDIDATES WEIGH IN
Both candidates for governor said it’s time to move on.
“Revolution Wind is a fully permitted, fully constructed offshore wind farm, built by union labor, that is already providing clean, affordable, reliable energy to Connecticut and the region,” Lamont said in a statement. “We are reviewing this action and assessing our options in coordination with our partners at Ørsted and the Attorney General’s Office, and we will take appropriate steps as needed to protect the interests of Connecticut residents.”
Lamont’s Republican opponent, state Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich), has raised concerns about the cost of wind power – but agreed that the White House should back down.
“I think at this point it should just go forward,” he said. “That said, the Public Benefits charge on your electrical bill will go up when Revolution Wind comes online.”
NATURAL GAS
Despite the battle over Revolution Wind, Connecticut could get some help from the Trump administration in the form of natural gas.
On Monday, the White House committed $42 million to the controversial Constitution Pipeline, which would transport gas from fracking wells in Pennsylvania to upstate New York, then on to Connecticut. The pipeline could dramatically lower electric bills, but climate advocates have raised alarm bells over the environmental impact.
“The goal is to get the pipeline on two years from now, by the Fall of 2028,” U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday. “The hope is to get this project under construction in the next six months. This project was designed and engineered almost 20 years ago now."
But that timeline appears unlikely.
Citing environmental concerns, New York state has blocked the pipeline for a dozen years. Breaking with advocates, Lamont has urged New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to support the proposal.
“If we got more gas up from, say, the Pennsylvania area, you know, we’re working on that,” Lamont said in July 2025.
