The resumption of construction of the Empire Wind farm marks a turning point for the renewable energy sector in the United States. Equinorthrough its subsidiary Empire Offshore Wind LLC, announced that the Department of the Interior, through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), lifted the stop-work order imposed last April.
This development follows intense negotiations with federal and state regulators. Governor Kathy Hochul noted that the decision was the result of extensive discussions with the White House and the developer. From the federal government, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum noted that the dialogue covered issues such as the state’s natural gas infrastructure capacity.
Empire Wind farm construction continues
With this resolution, Empire Wind, with a planned installed capacity of 810 megawatts, will resume offshore construction work, which had been halted since April 16. The project, which had already passed the environmental assessment and had all federal permits, was at risk of cancellation due to estimated losses of $50 million per week during the idle period.
Equinor CEO Anders Opedal thanked the Trump administration and leaders such as Governor Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams and members of Congress for their support, highlighting collaboration with labor unions and community groups. He also acknowledged the diplomatic support of the Norwegian government that stepped in to facilitate key talks.
The company reported that it will update the financial assessment of the project in the second quarter of 2025. Empire Wind maintains its goal of starting commercial operations in 2027 and expects to complete the deepwater installation phase during the planned 2025 window. According to Equinor they are coordinating with suppliers and regulators to mitigate impacts from the temporary outage.
Empire Wind represents a key step in the U.S. energy transition strategy. By supplying clean energy to half a million homes in New York, the project is also generating employment and boosting the supply chain in states such as Texas, Pennsylvania and Louisiana. With more than 30% progress in its execution, the project reaffirms Equinor’s commitment to sustainable development in the United States.
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Source and photo: Equinor
