The Trump administration on Wednesday pulled the plug on Empire Wind 1, the largest offshore wind project in New York, citing concerns over its approval process.
In a statement on X, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said he directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to “immediately halt all construction activities” on the project, claiming the Biden administration rushed its approval without sufficient analysis.
Empire Wind 1, operated by Norwegian energy company Equinor, broke ground in May 2024 on its operations and maintenance hub at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Sunset Park. The development has so far employed 1,741 workers, including more than 1,000 union construction jobs and apprenticeships. The project was expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
In addition to powering an estimated 500,000 New York City homes, the wind farm — which was to be located about 15 miles off the coast of Long Island — was projected to generate economic opportunities for local businesses and support the state’s clean energy goals.
Equinor finalized the federal lease in March 2017, at the start of President Donald Trump’s first term, and the project was approved in 2023. On his first day back in office, however, Trump — who has previously claimed that wind turbines cause cancer — issued an executive order barring the federal government from auctioning off rights to build offshore wind farms.
In a press release, Equinor said the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management ordered it to halt construction on the offshore wind farm on April 16 until the bureau can complete its own review of the project. The company said it had “validly secured all necessary federal and state permits” for the wind farm.
Local lawmakers blasted the move.
Gov. Kathy Hochul called the decision federal overreach and pledged to fight for union jobs, affordable energy and New York’s economic future.
“Every single day, I’m working to make energy more affordable, reliable, and abundant in New York and the federal government should be supporting those efforts rather than undermining them,” she said.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, whose district includes Sunset Park, called the Trump administration’s decision to revoke approval for Empire Wind 1 “a slap in the face of New Yorkers” and “an attack on New York’s energy sovereignty.”
“Empire Wind 1 isn’t just about power generation — it’s about powering our economy with thousands of good-paying union jobs, apprenticeships for our young workers, and billions in economic investment in neighborhoods like Sunset Park and Red Hook,” he said.
Equinor said it was consulting with “relevant authorities” about the order, and was considering legal action — including appealing the order – to get construction started again.
Mayor Eric Adams said his office would continue working with its partners to ensure projects like Empire Wind 1 and the jobs they create are protected.
“The redevelopment of the long-underutilized South Brooklyn Marine Terminal is creating more than 1,000 good-paying union jobs in New York to support the Empire Wind 1 project, which will provide enough energy to power 500,000 New York City homes, generate new opportunities for local businesses, and bring significant investments to our communities,” Adams said.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said that for a president who claimed to support blue-collar jobs, Trump was “hell-bent” on putting Americans out of work and keeping the air polluted.
“The reality is Empire Wind is a boon for Brooklyn’s economy and will make our energy system more affordable and reliable,” Reynoso said. “I look forward to supporting Governor Hochul in the fight against this reckless decision.”
Council Member Alexa Avilés, who represents Sunset Park, said she was “profoundly concerned” about halting a project that addresses energy needs while acknowledging the climate crisis.
“Our community has fought for years to ensure that Sunset Park would be part of solutions to reduce carbon emissions, build healthier and green energy, and provide new local union jobs,” Avilés said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Brooklyn native, called the move “an attack” by the Trump administration.
“This is an attack by the Trump administration on American energy independence, good-paying union jobs, and lower electricity bills,” he said. “Trump’s energy policy is to only support companies that generate dirty fossil fuels produced by his top campaign contributors.”
Update (Friday, April 18 at 10:30 a.m.): This story has been updated to include additional comment from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
