On May 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior reversed its April 16 stop work order and allowed the $5 billion, 2 GW, Empire Wind project 12 miles south of Long Island to proceed. The move follows an intensive lobbying effort by the project’s developer, Equinor ASA, who coordinated with federal, state, and city officials to get Empire Wind back on track. Unlike other projects affected by the Trump administration’s ban on offshore wind development, Empire Wind had received the necessary federal approvals and was under construction with ships at sea and others on standby when Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction. Despite the disruption and a costly month’s delay, Equinor still aims for the project to be operational in 2027.
In a statement, Equinor’s president and CEO thanked President Trump directly for allowing the project to continue. It remains to be seen whether the administration, which has demonstrated a transactional approach and willingness to work with commercial and governmental parties caught up in its larger policy pronouncements, will be receptive to the entreaties of other offshore projects impacted by the permitting ban.