Hochul pledges to fight Trump administration’s pause on major NY offshore wind project

The Trump administration has halted construction on a major offshore wind project that supporters say would power more than 1 million homes and create hundreds of jobs in the New York area — sparking an uproar from Democratic leaders in the state.

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Wednesday that the administration was directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to immediately pause the Empire Wind project so that officials could review “information that suggests the Biden administration rushed through its approval without sufficient analysis.” He also pointed to a January executive order by President Trump that demanded federal agencies review wind projects and leasing across the country.

Construction was underway on Empire Wind 1, which is one of two planned offshore wind facilities and is slated to be built by Norwegian company Equinor about 12 nautical miles south of Long Island. In response to Burgum’s announcement, several Democratic New York lawmakers said Trump officials were overreaching.

“I will fight this every step of the way to protect union jobs, affordable energy and New York’s economic future,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement, calling the project “exactly the type of bipartisan energy solution we should be working on.”

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a Democrat who represents the western end of Brooklyn, said the decision was a “slap in the face to New Yorkers” and an “attack on New York’s energy sovereignty by a Trump Administration hell-bent on stopping the progress we’ve made toward energy independence.” He and congressional Rep. Dan Goldman emphasized the economic investments the project would bring to communities like Sunset Park and Red Hook, which they both represent.

But Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, a Trump ally and Republican, praised the administration’s move, saying offshore wind turbines have “created serious concerns for our firefighters, health officials, and residents.” He added in a statement that he would “continue to do everything necessary to protect our quality of life, our shoreline, marine wildlife and our beautiful coastal communities." Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Republican, also hailed the decision.

The New York City Central Labor Council, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, said it opposed the freeze on the project. In a statement, the group accused Trump officials of "politicizing the buildout of clean energy infrastructure that is critically needed to stabilize and reduce energy costs for working families across New York.”

Trump’s executive order has put several other of the city’s clean-energy initiatives in limbo, including an ambitious plan to convert Queens’ massive Ravenswood Generating Station to renewable sources. The administration has frustrated progress on New York's climate goals like 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040, state officials said.

Empire Wind 1 was scheduled to come online in 2027. The Empire Wind 2 project had already faced some hurdles before Trump took office, with developers terminating the initiative last year and citing economic headwinds. New York officials said they would reopen bidding for the facility's development.

In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson said Equinor is complying with the federal halt work order and has suspended offshore construction. The spokesperson said the company is engaging with authorities to clarify the matter and is considering legal remedies, including appealing the order.

The Equinor spokesperson noted the project has all required permits, has already created more than 1,500 jobs and could power 500,000 homes. It also disclosed a $2.5 billion book value for the project and said it is assessing potential financial impacts, including repayment obligations and termination fees.

This story has been updated with comment from an Equinor spokesperson.