Trump Administration Halts Construction on New York Offshore Wind Project

Empire Wind 1’s developer says it is considering its legal remedies. New York, meanwhile, needs renewable energy projects to meet its climate goals and to ensure the continued growth of green job opportunities in the city.

The buildout of renewable energy projects in downstate New York—the region that includes the Hudson Valley and below—is often complicated. The space for these projects is limited, particularly in New York City, and they’re often expensive. 

Though an approach of smaller battery storage and solar projects could inch the state closer to its ambitious renewable energy goals, it must be complemented by utility-scale renewable energy generation. 

That’s where Empire Wind 1, the first project in a massive buildout of offshore wind off the coast of Long Island, came in. The project, which was granted a lease from the federal government in 2017, promised to create over 1,500 jobs and ultimately power 500,000 homes by building 54 wind turbines. 

On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum instructed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt all construction on the project “until further review of information that suggests the Biden administration rushed through its approval without sufficient analysis.”

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has expressed strong opposition to offshore wind energy, saying he would not support “big, ugly windmills” that threaten wildlife. In February, his administration fired National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees who were monitoring the impacts of offshore wind projects on marine wildlife.

On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order that withdrew all parts of the Outer Continental Shelf from new or renewed offshore leasing activity and suspended the approval process for all new onshore and offshore wind projects. The executive order also directed a review of all existing offshore leases, with termination possible. 

A spokesperson for Equinor, the Norwegian energy company behind Empire Wind 1, said construction will halt on the project. Empire Offshore Wind LLC, the limited liability company in charge of the project, is “engaging with relevant authorities to clarify this matter and is considering its legal remedies, including appealing the order,” the spokesperson said in email.

The Trump administration’s stop work order could have important ramifications for New York State’s climate goals and the growth of green job opportunities in the downstate region. Around 44 percent of New York city’s census tracts are home to low-income communities who have experienced a disproportionate amount of negative impacts from pollution. 

When climate targets are delayed, or entry-level job opportunities do not materialize, these communities are often the first to suffer.  

The Empire Wind 1 project promised to bring green union jobs to the downstate region. Equinor is working to redevelop the marine terminal, which will house the project’s long-term Operations and Maintenance Base, in conjunction with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the terminal operator Sustainable South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. 

This is especially beneficial for the New York City neighborhood of Sunset Park, an environmentally overburdened community located near the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which fought to be included in the plans.

“Our community has fought for years to ensure that Sunset Park would be part of solutions to reduce carbon emissions, build healthier and green energy, and provide new local union jobs,” said a statement from the office of Council Member Alexa Avilés, who represents the city district that encompasses Sunset Park.

These projects are slated to include at least 1,000 construction jobs, 130 apprentices, 200 assembly jobs at the marine terminal, and 50 permanent, long-term jobs to keep the Empire Wind project up and running, according to the Mayor’s Office.

The city has viewed green jobs as a pathway for low-income New Yorkers, or those without a college degree, to increase their earning potential. But as green job growth has slowed, big projects like Empire Wind 1 have become even more important. 

“The reckless and overreaching move to halt construction that is already underway on Empire Wind threatens thousands of good union jobs and jeopardizes the progress New York has made toward cleaner, more affordable energy,” wrote Vincent Alvarez, the president of the New York City Central Labor Council, in a statement. 

Esther Rosario, the executive director of the labor union coalition Climate Jobs NY, said that union tradesmen were slated to get on a vessel as early as next week for monopile installation, which drives the foundations of wind turbines into the seabed. 

“That means that in two weeks, those workers won’t have a paycheck coming their way,” said Rosario.

The state’s Climate Act established the target of a 70 percent renewably-sourced grid by 2030. 

Earlier this year, Inside Climate News reported that this timeline is already likely to be delayed, and that the number of renewable projects planned for the New York downstate region is very small. 

“We need to redouble our efforts at the state level, especially downstate, in getting new generation projects off the ground,” said Alexander Patterson, the campaign coordinator for Public Power NY which has been fighting for a more expansive buildout of renewable energy. “This is just the latest in a long line of projects to be canceled, whether it’s due to financial headwinds or inflation, and now political headwinds.”

The halting of construction at Empire Wind 1 could lead to further delays for the state’s energy transition. The Trump administration’s stop work order is also likely to sow uncertainty well beyond the downstate regions of New York. 

“If we now have a situation where every change in administration could mean the revoking of permits and stop work orders, I think it breaks the certainty that we have moving forward,” said Rob Freudenberg, the vice president of energy and environment programs at the Regional Plan Association, a civic organization that looks at how to improve the quality of life in the tri-state area. “That should reverberate beyond the offshore wind industry itself.”

Cover photo:  A barge is used to lay cable off the coast of Long Island, as part of the Sunrise Wind farm project on March 19. Credit: Mark Harrington/Newsday RM via Getty Images