Equinor resumes construction of 2.1 GW wind project after Trump ban

NORWEGIAN energy giant Equinor has resumed construction of its 2.1 GW wind project in New York after work was suspended by the US government.

Following a stop work order from the US’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Equinor paused construction on 16 April on Empire Offshore Wind LLC (Empire) – which was already a third of the way completed.

BOEM has since conducted an economic review of the US$5bn project, including discussions with local, state and federal regulators on its potential economic benefits.

Empire is a large offshore wind project divided into two phases, with the first currently under construction 24–48 km south of Long Island. The first phase will include 54 turbines, expected to produce 810 MW of energy – powering 500,000 homes in Brooklyn.

Molly Morris, the president of Equinor Wind US, said: “This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the United States and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region.

“Empire Wind brings supply chain investments in states across the nation including New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas and South Carolina."

Offshore wind crackdown

The BOEM review comes amid the US government’s crackdown on offshore wind projects, following a temporary withdrawal of all leasing of wind projects around the US Offshore Continental Shelf (OCS).

The withdrawal prevented the consideration of all new and renewed leases in the OCS for wind energy, with all existing leases going under a rigours review by the US interior secretary to assess their ecological, economic, and environmental necessity.

Equinor obtained the lease for Empire 1 in 2017, with construction beginning in Q2 of 2024. The company has already spent US$2.5bn on the project, with the pause costing around US$50m a week.

Following the lifting of the stop order, Equinor says it will perform an updated assessment of the project’s economic benefits. It expects the project will begin commercial operation in 2027.