What happened this week
This week, the federal government slammed the brakes on the nearly completed Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island and Connecticut, citing vague 'national security concerns'. With 45 of 65 turbines already piercing the ocean floor and the developer boasting 80% completion, this sudden stand-down may signify deeper issues… or is it just another sign that offshore wind's house of cards is collapsing?
What Revolution Wind actually is
Revolution Wind, Ørsted's bloated offshore brainchild, lurks 15 miles south of Rhode Island's coast, poised to feed power to Rhode Island and Connecticut. Up to 65 turbines and two substations promise 700 MW… enough for 350,000 homes, they claim. But let's cut the spin: Connecticut grabs 300 MW, Rhode Island 400 MW, all at a locked-in 9.8 cents/kWh for 20 years… cheaper than New England's retail average? Sure, but only if you ignore the massive subsidies propping it up.
What the hardware looks like at sea
Picture this: Massive steel monopiles, up to 12 meters wide for turbines, 15 for substations, hammered into the seabed like industrial spikes. Each gets a rock apron, devouring 0.7 acres, stacking 2-4 feet high to fight erosion. Total toll? 190 acres of mangled seabed in a 97,000-acre lease… plus 155 miles of inter-array cables and 42 miles to shore, buried 4-6 feet deep but still scarring the ocean floor. This isn't clean energy; it's an underwater industrial zone.
How much surveying and offshore work it took
Before and during construction, the project carried out high-resolution geophysical mapping, geotechnical borings, and seasons of monitoring runs to track seafloor conditions, scour around foundations, and cable burial. Regulators anticipated survey activity during construction and intermittent surveys across the life of the project, in addition to round-the-clock pile driving windows when weather allowed.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member