Equinor has reportedly said it will be forced to terminate the Empire Wind project “within days” unless President Donald Trump’s administration makes a U-turn on an order that halted construction.
The New York offshore wind project was stopped on April 16 following a directive from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Developer Equinor has already invested $2.5 billion in the project.
The Associated Press spoke to Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables Americas, who said the company was in an “urgent, unsustainable situation”, spending up to $50m per week on the project and with 11 vessels on standby.
The developer has also carried out a significant amount of onshore work, where the cable from the wind farm will connect to the grid, the report added.
“If no material progress is made toward a resolution within days, Equinor will be forced to terminate the project,” Morris told AP.
“This is about honouring contracts and financial investments made in the US.
“It could set a dangerous precedent by stopping a project in mid-execution.”
The head of Equinor previously described the US government’s order to halt work on the Empire Wind offshore wind farm as “unlawful”.
In the company’s first quarter results for 2025, chief executive Anders Opedal said: “We have invested in Empire Wind after obtaining all necessary approvals, and the order to halt work now is unprecedented and in our view unlawful.”
He added that the company would seek to engage directly with the US administration to clarify the matter and was assessing legal options.
After quarter close, Equinor received a halt work order from the US government on the offshore construction on the outer continental shelf for the Empire Wind project.
The lease was obtained in 2017 and the project, which has the potential to power half a million New York homes, was fully permitted in 2024.
Renews has reached out to Equinor for further comment.