Trump halts Equinor’s 810MW Empire Wind

Wind Energy – Trump

US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered a halt to construction of Equinor’s Empire Wind project off the coast of New York, saying information suggests the Biden administration approved it without sufficient environmental analysis.

Burgum’s memorandum to the acting director of BOEM says ‘serious questions’ have been raised about the Empire Wind permit. He says it was rushed through without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies.

Burgum also writes that he is directing BOEM to continue to review federal wind permitting practices “for both existing and pending permits.”

The sudden order marks a major blow to Norway’s Equinor and the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry, which enjoyed substantial support as part of former President Joe Biden’s plan to decarbonize the power grid and combat climate change.

Construction on this fully permitted project began last year with onshore works associated with the project in New York City.

Equinor has already invested $2 bln in the project and was targeting the launch of offshore works this spring.

Liz Burdock, President and CEO of Oceantic Network, said: “Stopping work on the Empire Wind 1 offshore project should send a chill through all industries that invest in and have contracts with the US government. Preventing a permitted and funded energy project from moving forward sends a loud and clear message to all companies, beyond those in the offshore wind industry, that their investments in the US are not safe. We urge the Department of Interior to lift this order immediately to restore a predictable and equitable environment for the buildout of critical energy resources that help secure our energy future and independence.”

American Clean Power Association CEO Jason Grumet said: “Halting construction of fully permitted energy projects is the literal opposite of an energy abundance agenda. These political reversals are bad policy, whether applied to pipelines or wind farms. We encourage the Administration to quickly address perceived inadequacies in the prior permit approvals so that this project can complete construction and bring much-needed power to the grid.”

Norway’s Equinor acquired the Empire Wind lease area in 2017 and in June 2024, announced the execution of the Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for Empire Wind 1 power for 25 years at a strike price of $155.00/MWh.

Financial close for the project was reached in December 2024. The expected total capital investment, including fees for the use of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, would be approximately $5 billion, including the effect of expected future tax credits, according to Equinor. New York had issued its final approvals for the project in May 2024.

New York’s governor Kathy Hochul, who has already been fighting with the Trump administration over congestion pricing for vehicles in Manhattan issued an angry statement saying the federal government should be supporting its efforts for affordable energy “rather than undermining them.”

“This fully federally permitted project has already put shovels in the ground before the President’s executive orders. It’s exactly the type of bipartisan energy solution we should be working on,” she said in her statement. “As Governor, I will not allow this federal overreach to stand. I will fight this every step of the way to protect union jobs, affordable energy, and New York’s economic future.”

Original Source: https://ocean-energyresources.com/2025/04/17/trump-halts-equinors-810mw-empire-wind/