Posted on May 23, 2025
Trump has a long history of attacking wind turbines, arguing that they kill birds and cost more than they generate in revenue.
Norwegian energy company Equinor will resume construction on its offshore wind farm in New York, after the Trump administration lifted its order to halt work on the project.
Empire Wind 1 will be the first offshore wind project to deliver electricity directly to New York City. The Interior Department under the Biden administration approved the project last year after Equinor signed a lease issued by the department in 2017.
But Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered construction on Empire Wind to stop on April 16, alleging the Biden administration rushed the project’s approval “without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies as relates to the potential effects.”
The stop-work order had raised fears among investors that the White House might target other wind projects that had already been permitted and approved.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday evening that Burgum and President Donald Trump agreed to lift the stop-work order and allow the project to move forward “after countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials.” Empire Wind supports 1,500 union jobs, Hochul said.
Equinor said it aims to execute planned installation activities this year and minimize the impact of the stop-work order in order to reach its goal of starting commercial operations in 2027.
Apparent natural gas compromise
Burgum said he was encouraged by Hochul’s “willingness to move forward on critical pipeline capacity.”
“Americans who live in New York and New England would see significant economic benefits and lower utility costs from increased access to reliable, affordable, clean American natural gas,” the Interior secretary said in a post on social media platform X.
Hochul did not mention natural gas in her statement, though she “reaffirmed 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 has a history of opposing new natural gas pipelines.
Trump has targeted the wind industry, despite his agenda calling for the U.S. to achieve energy dominance. The president issued an executive order on his first day in office that barred new leases for offshore wind in U.S. waters and ordered a review of leasing and permitting practices.
