The head of Equinor has 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, Anders Opedal (pictured), president and chief executive of Equinor, 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.
“This is a question of the rights and obligations granted under legally issued permits, and security of investments based on valid approvals.
“We seek to engage directly with the US Administration to clarify the matter and are considering our 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 was fully permitted in 2024. It has a potential for delivering power to half a million New York homes, and is approximately 30% to completion.
Equinor said it is complying with the order and is seeking dialogue with the proper authorities and assessing legal options.
The Empire Wind project has per 31 March 2025 a gross book value of around US$2.5bn, including South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.