A major offshore wind project in New York City has won back the support of the US government after a construction halt ordered by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum was lifted. The Empire Wind 1 project, which aims to deliver electricity directly to New York City, had been halted due to concerns over its approval process.
However, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday that the White House has agreed to allow the project to move forward, citing the importance of supporting critical pipeline capacity and reducing costs for consumers. The project, backed by Norwegian energy company Equinor, will generate 810 megawatts of electricity enough to power half a million homes.
The halt had raised concerns among investors about potential targets from the White House, but Hochul assured that the project would not be affected. Equinor aims to resume construction and minimize its impact on the schedule, with plans to start commercial operations in 2027.
The move comes after a long history of opposition to new natural gas pipelines by New York officials. However, Interior Secretary Burgum expressed his support for increased access to reliable and affordable American natural gas, which he claims would benefit consumers and reduce costs.
Despite President Trump’s executive order banning new leases for offshore wind in US waters, Equinor CEO Torgrim Reitan said the halt was “unlawful, extraordinary and unprecedented”. The project has already invested $2.5 billion and is more than 30% complete with plans to build 54 turbines that can reach up to 910 feet tall.
Three other offshore wind projects in the US are also under construction on the Eastern Seaboard, including Revolution and Sunrise Wind in New England and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/20/trump-allows-new-york-offshore-wind-project-after-apparent-gas-pipeline-compromise-with-state.html