The Trump administration is allowing work in an important offshore wind project for New York to resume.
The developer, the Norwegian energy company Equinor, said Monday by the Federal Office of Oceanic Energy Management that a stop work order for the Empire Wind project has been raised, allowing the construction to resume.
The work has stopped since the Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum launched last month to the Ocean Energy Management Office To stop construction and check the permissions. Burgum said at that time that it seemed that the administration of former President Joe Biden had “hurried” the approval. Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits and has spent more than $ 2.5 billion so far in a project that is complete.
The president and CEO of Equinor, Anders Opedal, thanked President Donald Trump for allowing the project to advance, saving around 1,500 construction jobs and investments in the energy infrastructure of the United States. He also expressed his thanks to the Governor of New York, the mayor of New York City, the members of the Congress and the labor groups, as well as the Norwegian officials who worked to save the project. The Norwegian government has a majority participation in Equinor.
“We appreciate the fact that construction can now be resumed in Empire Wind, a project that underlines our commitment to offer energy while supporting local economies and creates jobs,” Opedal said in a statement.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she took countless conversations with Equinor and the White House officials, and the participation of labor and commercial interests, to emphasize the importance of the project and re -route the empire. Equinor is building Empire Wind to the south of Long Island, New York, to provide energy in 2026 for more than 500,000 New York houses.
“New York’s economic future will be driven by an abundant and clean energy that helps our homes and businesses prosper. I fought to save clean energy work in New York, and we did it,” Hochul said in a statement on Monday.
The interior department did not immediately respond to emails looking for comments on Monday.
Large wind farms on the high seas have been making electricity for three decades in Europe and, more recently, in Asia. But the industry has fought to grow in the US. Due to high costs, difficulties in growing a supply chain for materials and the long permissions process.
Trump has prioritized fossil fuels and moved against renewable energy since he returned to the White House. One of his first acts was to order a pause of wind lease sales on the high seas in federal waters and the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. But the guidance of the Empire Wind administration, a project that is already underway, took a step further.
White House spokesman Taylor Rogers said in a statement on Friday that while unleashing the United States energy domain, Trump “stopped certain wind projects that are harmful to our beloved wildlife, including birds and whales.”
There are no known links Between great deaths of whales and wind activities on the high seas, According to the Oceanic and Atmospheric National Administration. While wind turbines can represent a risk to birds, wildlife conservation organizations say that Support the responsible development of wind on the high seas Because climate change is a major threat.
The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer from New York, said Monday that raising the stop order is good news. Empire Wind will greatly benefit the economy in Long Island and the environment for all New Yorkers, he said in a statement.
The defenders of the wind on the high seas also celebrated the decision. It is a victory for workers, industry and companies in places such as Louisiana, South Carolina and Pennsylvania, helping to build projects in the Northeast, said the oceanic network in a statement.
Equinor said May 9 He would be forced to leave the Empire’s wind In a matter of days, unless the administration yielded to its order that stopped construction. Equinor was spending up to $ 50 million per week and had 11 vessels waiting.
Equinor ended the federal lease contract In March 2017, during Trump’s first mandate. The Federal Government approved the construction and operations plan in February 2024.
New York aims to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewable sources for 2030 and 9 Gigawatts of wind on the high seas by 2035. New York is obtaining some wind energy from the first wind far 12 turbine wind park called South Fork That opened a year ago, operated by different companies east of Montauk Point, New York.
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