Suspension order lifted for Empire Wind construction offshore New York

The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has notified Equinor subsidiary Empire Offshore Wind LLC that construction can resume on the Empire Wind project. This follows the lifting of a stop work order issued on April 16.

Equinor President and CEO Andres Opedal said, "We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on…a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs."

He thanked Norway’s Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Stoltenberg “for their support at a critical time, and that the Minister of Finance raised the situation with the US administration."

The stop work order was rescinded following dialogue with regulators and federal, state and city officials.

Equinor will now aim to proceed with planned activities during this year’s offshore installation window, enabling the planned start of commercial operation in 2027. Empire Offshore Wind LLC will work with suppliers and regulatory bodies to reduce the impact of the stop work order, Equinor added.

In 2017, the US government first leased Empire as a designated area of the outer continental shelf off the coast of New York. After completion of a long environmental review process, the government approved the plan to build a commercial offshore wind farm early last year, with project financing secured some time afterward.

At present, the project is more than 30% complete.

Support from the offshore industry

Industry leaders issued statements following the news from Equinor yesterday that the Empire Wind stop work order had been lifted. 

“After more than a month of uncertainty, America is back on track with an Above All Energy approach—one that puts thousands of skilled workers back on the job, reignites construction in our nation’s shipyards, and sends mariners back to sea.

This moment marks a critical step forward in securing the nation’s energy future and underscores the real, hands-on work building out America’s energy infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand. It’s a win for workers, for the industry—and for the companies in places like Louisiana, South Carolina and Pennsylvania helping build projects in the northeast.

We thank leaders at every level of government who worked tirelessly to resolve the issues and help resume construction of Empire Wind 1. We are deeply grateful to Governor Kathy Hochul, whose unwavering commitment and leadership ensured that offshore wind—the largest energy infrastructure effort in the last 50 years and a cornerstone of New York’s economy—never lost momentum. America is moving forward. Let’s get to work.”