Equinor considers ‘legal remedies’ as Empire Wind 1 is halted

Norway’s Equinor, majority owned by the state, has declared that it will “consider its legal remedies, including appealing the order”, as US President Trump called a halt on development of the 810-MW wind farm, Empire Wind 1, off the coast of Long Island, New York. The Norwegian company revealed that it had already invested USD 2 billion in the project.

Equinor originally signed a federal lease for the project during Trump’s first term in 2017. It was subsequently given the go-ahead by the Biden-Harris Administration in 2023. The energy major has already embarked on construction of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal which would have provided the shoreside base and hundreds of jobs for the development and servicing of the wind farm.

Various other parties are opposing Trump’s order. New York Governor, Kathy Hochul, plans to fight the move which has undermined New York State’s aim of generating 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of this decade.

Meanwhile, the head of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Doreen M. Harris, issued a statement saying that “irrefutable harm created by this action will send a chilling signal to any party investing in the US market, all of whom rely on regulatory certainty.”

Equinor revealed early in January that it had secured a USD 3 billion project finance package for Empire Wind 1 development. The facility was due to start generating energy for up to 500,000 New York households in 2027.