The Trump administration’s order for Equinor to stop work on its 810-MW Empire Wind 1 wind energy project offshore New York will force the company to terminate the project entirely if the situation isn’t resolved “within days,” an Equinor spokesperson said Monday.
The stop work order has led to “an urgent and unsustainable situation,” the spokesperson told Utility Dive. “We need a resolution from the federal government for this important project to move forward.”
In the absence of a resolution “within days,” the company will be “forced to terminate the project,” he said.
Equinor CEO Anders Opedal met with U.S. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett at the White House on May 6, but got no indication that the Trump administration is prepared to shift its stance, Bloomberg reported Monday.
The current delay is “extremely expensive,” costing up to $50 million each week that the project is delayed, Equinor’s spokesperson said.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered the project’s pause April 16, stating in a letter to BOEM that the project was “rushed through by the prior administration without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies as relates to the potential effects from the project.” The letter said that construction will remain halted until “further review is completed to address these serious deficiencies.”
The following day, Equinor said it would comply with the order, and that “immediate steps were taken by Empire and its contractors to initiate suspension of relevant marine activities, ensuring the safety of workers and the environment.”
However, Opedal said in an April 30 first quarter earnings report that the order to halt work “is unprecedented and in our view unlawful,” and that the company would both engage directly with the Trump administration as well as consider its legal options.
“This is a question of the rights and obligations granted under legally issued permits, and security of investments based on valid approvals,” Opedal said.
According to Equinor, the project is 30% complete with $2.7 billion invested so far. It is slated to come online in late 2026.
