US Interior Dept Orders Halt on Empire Wind 1 Construction

April 17, 2025, by Adrijana Buljan

The US Department of the Interior (DOI), through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), has paused the building of the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm, which is currently under construction in federal waters off New York.

According to community and mariner updates issued by the Empire Wind project, seabed preparation work started this month at the project site ahead of foundation installation, with the first layer of rock being installed at wind turbine locations.

The US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on 16 April via X (formerly known as Twitter) that the DOI had instructed BOEM to immediately halt all construction activities on the Empire Wind project until a review is conducted.

View on Twitter.

The lease for the Empire Wind area, held by Equinor, was awarded in 2017, during US President Donald Trump’s first term, while BOEM issued an approval of the Construction and Operation Plan (COP) in February 2024, during the Biden administration.

Empire Wind 1 Cleared to Start Construction

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Equinor Gets SAP Nod for Empire Wind

Authorities

Work on the 810 MW Empire Wind 1, the first phase of the Empire Wind lease area development, started soon after Equinor received the federal green light last year.

In November 2024, Sif produced the first of 54 monopiles for the offshore wind farm at its Maasvlakte 2 site in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Sif Produces First Empire Wind 1 Monopile in Netherlands

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Equinor reached financial close on Empire Wind 1 in January 2025.

Following the news on the DOI halting Empire Wind 1 construction, the US industry organisation Oceantic Network called for the DOI to lift the order.

“Stopping work on the fully federally permitted Empire Wind 1 offshore project should send chills across all industries investing in and holding contracts with the United States Government. Preventing a permitted and financed energy project from moving forward sends a loud and clear message to all businesses – beyond those in the offshore wind industry – that their investment in the U.S. is not safe”, said Liz Burdock, president and CEO of Oceantic Network.

“We urge the Department of Interior to lift this order immediately to restore a predictable and equitable environment for the buildout of critical energy resources that help secure our energy future and independence.”

Located 25-48 kilometres (15-30 miles) southeast of Long Island, Empire Wind 1 is the first offshore wind farm to connect to New York City’s grid. The project will comprise 54 Vestas 15 MW wind turbines and is planned to produce first power in late 2026, with full commissioning in 2027.

A key component of the 810 MW project is the transformation of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT) in Sunset Park, where Equinor will build Empire Wind’s operations and maintenance (O&M) facility.