The administration of US President Donald Trump has moved to stop all work on Equinor’s 810MW Empire Wind 1 off the coast of New York State.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he was directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to “immediately halt all construction activities on the Empire Wind Project until further review of information that suggests the Biden administration rushed through its approval without sufficient analysis”.
The move is the latest blow to an embattled US offshore wind sector, which has come under fire from Trump’s administration since his inauguration in January.
Construction had just begun on onshore works associated with the project in New York City, and Equinor was targeting the launch of offshore works this spring.
Oceantic Network president and CEO Liz Burdock said: “Stopping work on the fully federally permitted Empire Wind 1 offshore project should send chills across all industries investing in and holding contracts with the United States Government.
“Preventing a permitted and financed energy project from moving forward sends a loud and clear message to all businesses – beyond those in the offshore wind industry – that their investment in the U.S. is 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.”
More to come…