Empire Offshore Wind Project Resumes Construction as Stop Order Gets Lifted
May 20, 2025
Empire Offshore Wind, a subsidiary of Equinor, has been informed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) that the stop work order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction activities to resume.
The stop work order for the offshore wind project, being built offshore New York, was issued on April 16, 2025. Following dialogue with regulators and federal, state, and city officials, the stop work order has been lifted and construction activities will resume.
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, and will engage with suppliers and regulatory bodies to reduce the impact of the stop work order.
After a competitive process, the United States 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. Project financing was secured in 2024.
The project is currently more than 30% complete.
"We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs.
“I would like to thank President Trump for finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S. I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her constructive collaboration with the Trump Administration, without which we would not have been able to advance this project and secure energy for 500 000 homes in New York,” said Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor.
“I would like to thank the Norwegian Prime Minister Støre and Minister of Finance Stoltenberg for their support at a critical time, and that the Minister of Finance raised the situation with the U.S. administration,” says Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor ASA.
"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," added Molly Morris, President of Equinor Wind US.
