US Department of Interior Orders Halt to Empire Wind Offshore Wind Farm Construction

In a surprising turn of events on Wednesday, April 16, the U.S. Department of Interior made a sudden decision to stop the construction of Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind farm. The project, which had received approval in 2024 and was already in progress, has now been put on hold. This move has sparked strong criticism from New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and has left the industry in shock.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum took to X to announce that, in consultation with Commerce, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has been directed to halt all construction activities on the Empire Wind project. This decision comes following concerns that the Biden administration approved the project without adequate analysis.

While the approval for the Empire Wind project was granted in February 2024, with the project also securing its Clean Air Permit for construction in the same month, the sudden halt has raised eyebrows. Equinor, a Norwegian company, had acquired the Empire Wind lease area in 2017 and had finalized the necessary agreements for the project to move forward.

Governor Hochul expressed her frustration with the federal government’s decision, stating that it should be supporting efforts for affordable energy rather than hindering them. She emphasized the importance of bipartisan energy solutions and vowed to fight against this federal overreach to protect jobs and the state’s economic future.

According to a memorandum obtained by FreeBeacon, serious concerns were raised regarding the approval process for the Empire Wind project, leading to the decision to halt construction. Interior Secretary Burgum has also ordered a review of federal wind permitting practices for both existing and pending permits.

The Empire Wind project, set to be located off the coast of Long Island, was expected to provide renewable energy to hundreds of thousands of homes. With construction already underway at the site in Brooklyn, the sudden stop has put a dent in the project’s timeline, which was slated to begin providing power by 2027.

With the Trump administration previously ordering a review of leasing and permitting practices, the Biden administration’s approval of multiple offshore wind farms had signaled a push towards renewable energy. However, the recent decision to halt the Empire Wind project has left the industry uncertain about the future of offshore wind development.