After months of uncertainty, New York’s Empire Wind offshore wind project is back on track. The Trump administration lifted its stop-work order in May 2025, allowing the $5 billion project to resume after being halted since April.
The project’s revival came after Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg met directly with President Trump in Washington. They pushed for the project’s restoration since Norwegian company Equinor develops Empire Wind. New York Governor Kathy Hochul also played a key role in advocating for the project’s return.
Trump’s original ban stopped all offshore wind projects on January 21, 2025. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered the halt, citing rushed project approval and insufficient environmental analysis based on concerns from an internal NOAA report. He said the country needed to balance reliable energy, protect marine life and fishing industries, and control energy costs. The ban affected four operating wind farms and three others under construction across the U.S.
Trump halted offshore wind projects nationwide, citing energy reliability, marine protection, and cost concerns.
The suspension hit New York’s economy hard. It threatened up to 6,800 jobs that paid an average of $100,000 per year. The halt also risked $1.6 billion in economic activity during the project’s construction phase. Local workers stood to lose $195 million in income if the project didn’t move forward.
During the suspension, Equinor spent $50 million per week on ongoing costs. The project represents a crucial step in addressing the intermittency issues that challenge widespread renewable adoption. The company publicly thanked both Norwegian and New York leaders for their help in getting the project restarted. Equinor’s CEO also credited Trump for finding a solution.
Empire Wind will power half a million New York homes when it’s finished. It’s part of New York’s larger plan for offshore wind projects that could bring $12.1 billion to the state’s economy. The South Brooklyn Marine Terminal was set to become the project’s main hub. The terminal’s construction was already over 50% complete when the halt order took effect.
Industry groups filed lawsuits against the ban, calling it an illegal block on clean energy progress. Local officials said the suspension hurt their communities and slowed America’s shift to renewable energy.
The project’s restart sends a strong message to investors about America’s commitment to renewable energy. It also shows how quickly political decisions can affect billion-dollar investments and thousands of jobs in the growing offshore wind industry.
References
- https://www.foxbusiness.com/energy/trump-administration-lifts-stop-work-order-5-billion-new-york-offshore-wind-project
- https://citylimits.org/bad-for-business-what-trumps-plan-to-halt-offshore-wind-means-for-new-yorks-economy/
- https://offshorewind.nwf.org/groups-file-brief-in-support-of-lawsuit-against-ban-on-wind-power/
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/temporary-withdrawal-of-all-areas-on-the-outer-continental-shelf-from-offshore-wind-leasing-and-review-of-the-federal-governments-leasing-and-permitting-practices-for-wind-projects/
