By Hank Russell
One month after ordering it shut down, the Trump administration has lifted a work order on a local wind project.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, Equinor, a Norwegian company, announced that all activity on the Empire Wind 1 Project — located off the coast of the City of Long Beach — was being suspended pending a review from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
LILP also reported that BOEM ordered Empire Offshore Wind LLC “to halt all ongoing activities related to the Empire Wind Project on the outer continental shelf to allow time for it to address feedback it has received, including from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), about the environmental analyses for that project,” Acting Interior Secretary Walter D. Kruickshank wrote in a letter to Empire Secretary Matthew Brotmann.
On May 19, Equinor was informed that the stop work order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to resume.
“We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs,” Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor ASA, said in a statement.
“This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the United States and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region,” Molly Morris, the president of Equinor Wind US, added.
According to Equinor, the federal government granted Empire the lease in 2017. After an extensive environmental review process, the United States government approved the plan to build the Empire 1 project in early 2024, after which construction started. Project financing was secured in 2024. The project is currently more than 30 percent complete.
The company is looking to complete construction by this year. Pending an environmental review, the project will be functional within two years. Empire Wind 1 has the potential to power 500,000 New York homes, according to Equinor.
“After countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials, bringing labor and business to the table to emphasize the importance of this project, I’m pleased that President Trump and Secretary [Doug] Burgum have agreed to lift the stop work order and allow this project to move forward,” Governor Kathy HOchul said in a statement. “Now, Equinor will resume the construction of this fully-permitted project that had already received the necessary federal approvals. I also reaffirmed that New York will work with the Administration and private entities on new energy projects that meet the legal requirements under New York law. In order to ensure reliability and affordability for consumers, we will be working in earnest to deliver on these objectives.”