In April, the Trump Administration issued a stop order for the Empire Wind offshore wind project in New York, pushing the $5 billion project to the brink of collapse. The project is being built by the giant Norwegian energy company Equinor. When completed, the wind farm is expected to deliver enough electricity to power 500,000 New York homes.
Equinor had obtained all the necessary permits for the project after a four-year federal environmental review and work had begun on laying foundations for the wind turbines on the ocean floor.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum claimed that the permits for the project been rushed and ordered the work stopped. The stoppage was costing Equinor $50 million a week as well as jeopardizing an additional 1,000 jobs.
Weeks of intensive interactions between New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Equinor officials, and the White House finally resulted in a decision by the administration to lift the stop work order and allow the project to move forward.
The collapse of the project would have created major problems for New York. The state’s grid operators have been counting on the construction of several new offshore wind farms to provide large additional amounts of electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions. New York has aggressive targets for using renewable energy.
Empire Wind is expected to have 816 megawatts of capacity. Another offshore project in New York, Sunrise Wind, which is under construction 30 miles east of Montauk Point on Long Island, would have 924 megawatts of capacity.
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In Reversal, Trump Officials Will Allow Huge Offshore N.Y. Wind Farm to Proceed
Photo, posted August 9, 2022, courtesy of the Scottish Government via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
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