Offshore wind project back on track after Trump administration lifts pause

Additional reporting by KAREN JUANITA CARRILLO Amsterdam News Staff

The Trump administration is allowing work on a major offshore wind project for New York to resume.

The developer, the Norwegian energy company Equinor, said Monday it was told by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that a stop-work order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to resume.

Work has been paused since Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last month directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction and review the permits. Burgum said at the time that it appeared former President Joe Biden’s administration had “rushed through” the approvals. Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits and has spent more than $2.5 billion so far on a project that is one-third complete.

Equinor President and CEO Anders Opedal thanked President Donald Trump for allowing the project to move forward, saving about 1,500 construction jobs and investments in U.S. energy infrastructure. He also expressed appreciation to New York’s governor, New York City’s mayor, members of Congress, and labor groups, as well as Norwegian officials who worked to save the project. The Norwegian government owns a majority stake in Equinor.

“We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs,” Opedal said in a statement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said it took countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials, and the involvement of labor and business interests, to emphasize the project’s importance and get Empire Wind back on track. Equinor is building Empire Wind south of Long Island, New York, to provide power in 2026 for more than 500,000 New York homes.

“New York’s economic future is going to be powered by abundant, clean energy that helps our homes and businesses thrive. I fought to save clean energy jobs in New York — and we got it done,” Hochul said in a statement Monday.

The Interior Department said Tuesday the pause on the project was lifted while a review of the permits continues.

Large offshore wind farms have been making electricity for three decades in Europe and, more recently, in Asia. But the industry has struggled to grow in the U.S. due to high costs, difficulties growing a supply chain for materials, and the lengthy permitting process.

Trump has prioritized fossil fuels and moved against renewable energy since returning to the White House. One of his first acts was ordering a pause of offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and the issuance of approvals, permits, and loans for all wind projects. But the administration’s targeting of Empire Wind, a project already underway, took that a step further.

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement Friday that while unleashing America’s energy dominance, Trump “paused certain wind projects that are detrimental to our beloved wildlife, including birds and whales.”

There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While wind turbines can pose a risk to birds, wildlife conservation organizations say they support the responsible development of offshore wind because climate change is a bigger threat.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Monday that lifting the stop-work order is welcome news. Empire Wind will greatly benefit the economy on Long Island and the environment for all New Yorkers, he said in a statement.

Offshore wind advocates also celebrated the decision. It’s a win for workers, the industry, and companies in places like Louisiana, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, helping to build projects in the Northeast, the Oceantic Network said in a statement.

Vanessa Fajans-Turner, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY, said, “This reversal is a win for New York workers and for the future of our energy economy. Governor Hochul’s persistence helped protect thousands of good jobs and keep a major clean energy investment on track. Offshore wind is how we grow paychecks and protect the planet at the same time — and it’s exactly the kind of win-win policy New York needs more of.”

“The Empire Wind 1 project is exactly the kind of infrastructure investment New York needs — it will provide clean energy to half a million homes, power our economy with thousands of good-paying union jobs, and generate billions in economic investment in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Sunset Park and Red Hook,” New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes commented. “This project was fully permitted years ago, and it should never have been put on pause. The attempt to kill it was an affront to working New Yorkers like the ones I represent. I’m grateful to Gov. Hochul for her work to get this project back on track. I’ll continue to fight for affordable energy, resilient infrastructure, and economic opportunity for all New Yorkers.”

“Empire Wind 1 is a generational project that will create thousands of jobs, power New York with reliable electricity, and invest millions of dollars in our port infrastructure,” said Michael Prohaska, Business Manager of Laborers’ Local 79. “Our members have spent years preparing for these jobs, and now they can get back to serving our communities and supporting their families. Thank you to all the advocates and officials who worked to make sure that Empire Wind 1 will become a reality.”

Equinor had said on May 9 it would be forced to abandon Empire Wind within days unless the administration relented on its order that stopped construction. Equinor was spending up to $50 million per week and had 11 vessels on standby.

Equinor finalized the federal lease in March 2017, during Trump’s first term. The federal government approved the construction and operations plan in February 2024.

New York aims to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. New York is getting some wind power from the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, a 12-turbine wind farm called South Fork that opened a year ago, operated by different companies east of Montauk Point, New York.

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