Equinor’s subsidiary, Empire Offshore Wind LLC (Empire), has suspended offshore construction activities for the Empire Wind project in accordance with a halt work order issued by the US government.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) ordered Empire to stop all activities on the outer continental shelf until BOEM completes its review. Empire is engaging with relevant authorities and considering its legal remedies, including appealing the order.
The Empire Wind project, developed under contract with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), aims to provide an important new source of electricity for the state of New York. The construction phase has created over 1,500 jobs in the US, with the project potentially powering 500,000 homes.
Equinor’s ownership stake in Empire is held through Equinor Wind US LLC, and the company’s equity commitment under the project finance term loan facility is approximately USD 1.5 billion. The halt work order may impact the project financing, but Equinor is working to assess the situation.
This development comes as Equinor, a leading energy company with over 35 years of history in the US, continues to invest heavily in the country’s oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors, with investments totaling more than USD 60 billion to date.
Source: https://www.equinor.com/news/20250417-suspends-offshore-construction-activities-empire-wind