Feds Lift Stop Work Order
On $5B Empire Wind Project
ALBANY—Negotiations between the Trump administration and New York State have resulted in the lifting of the stop work order on the $5-billion Empire Wind project being developed offshore 15 miles to 30 miles south of Long Island, NY.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and developer Empire Offshore Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Equinor ASA, each stated they had been informed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that the stop work order had been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction activities to resume. The stop work order was issued on April 16.
“After countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials—bringing labor and business to the table to emphasize the importance of this project—I’m pleased that President Trump and Sec. Burgum have agreed to lift the stop work order and allow this project to move forward,” Gov. Hochul said. “Now, Equinor will resume the construction of this fully-permitted project that had already received the necessary federal approvals.”
Gov. Hochul thanked the Administration for the “willingness to work with me to save the 1,500 good paying union jobs that were on the line and helping get this essential project back on track.”
Equinor will perform an updated assessment of the project economics in the second quarter. Empire aims to be able to execute planned activities in the offshore installation window in 2025 and reach its planned commercial operation date in 2027. Empire will engage with suppliers and regulatory bodies to reduce the impact of the stop work order, company officials stated.
After a competitive process, the U.S. government first leased Empire a designated area of the outer continental shelf off the coast of New York in 2017. After an extensive environmental review process, the United States government approved the plan to build a commercial offshore wind farm in early 2024, after which construction started. A total of $3 billion in project financing was secured in late 2024.
The project is currently more than 30% complete. Empire Wind 1 will power 500,000 New York homes and is expected to reach its commercial operation date in 2027. The two-phased project, which also includes Empire Wind 2, is being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
It was reported that Sec. Burgum was encouraged by the governor’s “willingness to move forward on critical pipeline capacity.” While Gov. Hochul did not mention natural gas in her statement, she did note that New York will “work with the Administration and private entities on new energy projects that meet the legal requirements” under state law.
New York is moving to reduce the reliance and use of natural gas and propane over the coming five years.
Published: May 21, 2025