The Trump administration has lifted a stop work order on a $5bn wind farm off the coast of New York after negotiations with the state to resume the major clean energy project, but cancelled plans for a gas pipeline could also be revived.
The month-long stop work order on the Empire Wind project came amid Donald Trump’s targeting of the wind industry in the first 100 days of his second term as the US president pushes a pro-fossil fuels agenda.
The pause on the project had raised concerns about whether New York state could meet its climate and energy goals without it, and environmentalists will welcome its resumption.
Norway’s Equinor said on Monday that construction work can now resume on the project, which is expected to provide power for half a million homes from 2027 onwards, and create 1,500 jobs.
New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, has been lobbying Trump over resuming the project, with the Washington Post reporting that she has had three one-hour calls with him, with the latest on Sunday.
“New York’s economic future is going to be powered by abundant, clean energy that helps our homes and businesses thrive. I fought to save clean energy jobs in New York – and we got it done,” Hochul said in a statement Monday.
The interior secretary, Doug Burgum, who had issued the stop order on Empire Wind on 16 April, sending shockwaves through the offshore wind industry, said he was encouraged that Hochul will now allow new gas pipeline capacity to move forward.
The deal could revive plans to build a gas pipeline from Pennsylvania’s drilling fields, which was blocked on environmental grounds in 2020.
after newsletter promotion
“Americans who live in New York and New England would see significant economic benefits and lower utility costs from increased access to reliable, affordable, clean American natural gas,” Burgum wrote in a post on X on Monday.
