Equinor has been informed by the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) that the stop work order for the Empire Wind project has been lifted, allowing construction activities to resume.
Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor, said: “I would like to thank president Trump for finding a solution that … provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the US. 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 …”. He also thanked 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.”
“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,” said Molly Morris, president of Equinor Wind US.
The stop work order was issued on 16 April 2025. Following dialogue with regulators and federal, state, and city officials, the order has now been lifted and construction activities will resume.
Equinor will perform an updated assessment of the project economics in the second quarter. Empire Offshore Wind 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 US government first leased Empire a designated area of the outer continental shelf off the coast of New York in 2017. Following an environmental review, the 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.
