Federal Judge Greenlights Equinor’s New York Offshore Wind Project Restart

A federal judge has granted Norwegian offshore wind developer Equinor the green light to resume work on its New York Empire Wind project. This decision comes after the Trump administration halted the project, along with four others, last month.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington marks the second legal setback for the Trump administration’s offshore wind pause this week. Earlier, a judge in the same court ruled that Danish energy company Orsted could also restart work on a project off the coast of Rhode Island.

These legal victories provide Equinor and Orsted with what may be a temporary reprieve to continue their multi-billion-dollar projects while their underlying lawsuits are still in progress. On Friday, a federal judge in Virginia is set to consider a request from Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project to block the Trump administration’s offshore wind pause.

Over the past year, Trump has actively sought to block expansion of offshore wind in federal waters, labeling the technology as expensive, unreliable, and unattractive. The Interior Department, which ordered the pause, has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the recent ruling.

In court, government attorneys argued that the December 22 halt was warranted due to new classified information concerning offshore wind’s impact on national security. The Defense Department raised these concerns, which involve radar interference, to Interior officials in November.

However, Judge Nichols, appointed by Trump during his first term, stated that the government’s national security concerns did not outweigh the “irreparable harm” that the Empire Wind project would face if construction were to remain halted.

“The order threatens Empire Wind’s entire existence,” Nichols remarked, emphasizing that the halt would limit access to rare vessels essential for completing the project.

Equinor has already invested $4 billion into the Empire Wind project, which is currently 60% complete and is projected to generate enough power for 500,000 homes in New York.

In a statement, Equinor expressed its commitment: “Empire Wind will now focus on safely restarting construction activities that were halted during the suspension period. Additionally, the project will continue to engage with the U.S. government to ensure the safe, secure, and responsible execution of its operations.”

Judge Nichols indicated that he would review the merits of the underlying lawsuit on an “expedited basis.”

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles. Editing by Rod Nickel and Aurora Ellis)

Empire Wind construction site. Equinor photo.

Topics
Legislation
New York

A federal judge has granted Norwegian offshore wind developer Equinor the green light to resume work on its New York Empire Wind project. This decision comes after the Trump administration halted the project, along with four others, last month.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington marks the second legal setback for the Trump administration’s offshore wind pause this week. Earlier, a judge in the same court ruled that Danish energy company Orsted could also restart work on a project off the coast of Rhode Island.

These legal victories provide Equinor and Orsted with what may be a temporary reprieve to continue their multi-billion-dollar projects while their underlying lawsuits are still in progress. On Friday, a federal judge in Virginia is set to consider a request from Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project to block the Trump administration’s offshore wind pause.

Over the past year, Trump has actively sought to block expansion of offshore wind in federal waters, labeling the technology as expensive, unreliable, and unattractive. The Interior Department, which ordered the pause, has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the recent ruling.

In court, government attorneys argued that the December 22 halt was warranted due to new classified information concerning offshore wind’s impact on national security. The Defense Department raised these concerns, which involve radar interference, to Interior officials in November.

However, Judge Nichols, appointed by Trump during his first term, stated that the government’s national security concerns did not outweigh the “irreparable harm” that the Empire Wind project would face if construction were to remain halted.

“The order threatens Empire Wind’s entire existence,” Nichols remarked, emphasizing that the halt would limit access to rare vessels essential for completing the project.

Equinor has already invested $4 billion into the Empire Wind project, which is currently 60% complete and is projected to generate enough power for 500,000 homes in New York.

In a statement, Equinor expressed its commitment: “Empire Wind will now focus on safely restarting construction activities that were halted during the suspension period. Additionally, the project will continue to engage with the U.S. government to ensure the safe, secure, and responsible execution of its operations.”

Judge Nichols indicated that he would review the merits of the underlying lawsuit on an “expedited basis.”

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles. Editing by Rod Nickel and Aurora Ellis)

Empire Wind construction site. Equinor photo.

Topics
Legislation
New York