The U.S. Department of the Interior has directed an immediate stop to all construction activity on Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project off the coast of New York, citing the need for a comprehensive review of its permitting process.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the move on Wednesday via social media platform X, stating that he had instructed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to pause development due to concerns about the original approval process under the Biden administration. “I am directing 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,” Burgum wrote.
The 810-megawatt wind project, developed by Norwegian energy company Equinor, is one of the largest offshore wind initiatives in the United States. Onshore construction had recently begun in New York City, with offshore work scheduled to commence this spring.
The decision marks a significant development in the ongoing challenges facing the U.S. offshore wind sector, which has encountered increased scrutiny and regulatory uncertainty in recent months.
Industry stakeholders responded with concern to the administration’s announcement.
Liz Burdock, president and CEO of the Oceantic Network, said the decision could have broader implications for investor confidence. “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,” Burdock said in a statement. “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.”
Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, also expressed concern over the precedent set by the suspension. “Halting construction of fully permitted energy projects is the literal opposite of an energy abundance agenda,” Grumet said. “These political reversals are bad policy, whether applied to pipelines or wind farms.”
Equinor has not yet issued a formal response to the suspension.
The Empire Wind 1 project is part of a broader push to expand renewable energy infrastructure in the United States, with a federal target of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030.
