“We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs,” says Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor ASA.

“I would like to thank President Trump for finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S. I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her constructive collaboration with the Trump Administration, without which we would not have been able to advance this project and secure energy for 500 000 homes in New York. We are very appreciative of New York City Mayor Adams, congressional leaders including Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, Representative Garbarino, and Representative Goldman, as well as labour groups and other advocates that have maintained their steadfast support for the project,” Opedal concluded. “I would like to thank the Norwegian Prime Minister Støre and Minister of Finance Stoltenberg for their support at a critical time, and that the Minister of Finance raised the situation with the U.S. administration.”

The stop work order was issued on 16 April 2025. Following dialogue with regulators and federal, state, and city officials, the stop work order has been lifted and construction activities will resume.

“This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the United States and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region. Empire Wind brings supply chain investments in states across the nation including New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas and South Carolina,” said Molly Morris, President of Equinor Wind US.

Equinor will perform an updated assessment of the project economics in the second quarter. Empire aims to be able to execute planned activities in the offshore installation window in 2025 and reach its planned commercial operation date in 2027. Empire will engage with suppliers and regulatory bodies to reduce the impact of the stop work order.

After a competitive process, the United States government first leased Empire a designated area of the outer continental shelf off the coast of New York in 2017. After an extensive environmental review process, the United States government approved the plan to build a commercial offshore wind farm in early 2024, after which construction started. Project financing was secured in 2024. The project is currently more than 30% complete.

News item from Equinor

The post US government allows Empire Wind offshore project to resume construction appeared first on Windpower Engineering & Development.

“At the start of the Administration, our nation had approved zero offshore wind energy projects. Today, we have nine — enough to power nearly 5 million homes. This is what developing a clean energy transition looks like,” said Sec. of the Interior Deb Haaland. “Together, we are demonstrating that, in partnership with states, Tribes, ocean users and industry, we can build an entirely new and sustainable industry that will meet the growing demands of our nation far into the future, while creating good-paying jobs and helping mitigate the threat of the climate crisis.”

Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, the department has approved the nation’s first nine commercial scale offshore wind projects, held five offshore wind lease auctions, a record-breaking sale offshore New York and the first-ever sales off the Pacific and Gulf Coasts and advanced the process to establish additional Wind Energy Areas in Oregon and the Gulf of Maine.

Earlier this year, Haaland announced a schedule of additional lease sales through 2028. Thus far, the Department has approved more than 13 GW of clean energy from offshore wind projects — enough to power nearly 5 million homes. The department has also taken steps to grow a sustainable offshore wind industry by encouraging the use of project labor agreements, strengthening workforce training, bolstering a domestic supply chain and through enhanced engagement with Tribes, fisheries, communities and ocean users.

“Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has turbocharged the offshore wind industry — from creating new opportunities up and down the supply chain, to expanding potential projects to new waters across our coasts. Today’s lease sale reflects the forward momentum we are seeing to power millions of American homes with clean energy and create good-paying, climate jobs,” said Ali Zaidi, White House national climate advisor. “With nine commercial-scale projects approved in the last three years and more to go, we are using every available tool to grow the American offshore wind industry as we strengthen the nation’s power grid and tackle the climate crisis.”

Equinor Wind US provisionally won Lease OCS-A 0557 at $75,001,001, which is 101,443 acres and is approximately 26 nautical miles (nm) from Delaware Bay. Virginia Electric and Power Co provisionally won Lease OCS-A 0558 at $17,650,500, which is 176,505 acres and is approximately 35 nm from the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. Six companies participated in the auction.

“Today’s lease sale represents a major milestone in meeting the demand for clean renewable energy along the East Coast,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “BOEM remains committed to responsible offshore wind energy development in the Central Atlantic region in a manner that avoids, reduces or mitigates potential impacts to other ocean users and the marine environment while growing local economies.”

Today’s sale resulted in over $23 million total bidding credits. These bidding credits will result in over $11 million in investments for workforce training and domestic supply chain and an additional $11 million for fisheries compensatory mitigation. In addition, lease stipulations require that the lessees make every reasonable effort to enter into a project labor agreement covering the construction stage of any project for the lease areas; develop communication plans for Tribes, agencies and fisheries; and provide semi-annual reports on engagement activities with Tribes and communities.

The leases awarded today do not authorize the construction or operation of an offshore wind facility. Rather, a lease provides the right to submit a project plan for BOEM’s review. BOEM will develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the specific impacts of any project proposals before making decisions on whether to approve a proposed construction and operations plan. The EISs would be prepared in consultation with Tribes and appropriate government agencies, and informed by input from stakeholders, ocean users, and the public.

BOEM will also continue to convene the Central Atlantic Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force to explore and identify potential additional areas for future offshore wind leasing. These ongoing intergovernmental efforts include a June 2024 memorandum of understanding that outlines joint work by the Biden-Harris administration and the State of Maryland to evaluate additional areas off Maryland’s shores that could become wind energy areas and support the development of offshore wind projects.

News item from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

The post Atlantic Offshore lease sale opens millions of acres to wind development appeared first on Windpower Engineering & Development.

“We’re growing New York’s green economy, building clean energy, and expanding economic opportunities for all New Yorkers,” Hochul said. “By breaking ground on Sunrise Wind and advancing the next wave of offshore wind projects, New York is passing a tremendous milestone to combat climate change. These projects will create good-paying union jobs and demonstrate that New York is leading the nation to build the offshore wind industry.”

Today’s groundbreaking at the Boys and Girls Club of Bellport on Long Island officially kicked off the start of the Sunrise Wind project which will support more than 800 direct jobs during the construction phase of the project and will spur economic benefits from the Capital Region to Long Island – including a $700 million investment in Suffolk County alone. It will be built under project labor agreements ensuring local union labor’s participation in all phases of construction. The project will be located approximately 30 miles east of Montauk with an approved transmission route connecting to the state’s electricity grid at the Holbrook Substation in Brookhaven in Suffolk County.

Sunrise Wind has completed all major federal and state permitting milestones and received approval for its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on June 21.

This milestone builds on a series of significant offshore wind developments for the State in 2024, including the completion of the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S. Ørsted’s South Fork Wind, finalization of contracts from New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation and a historic groundbreaking at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which will support staging and assembly of offshore wind components and serve as an operations and maintenance hub for the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project.

News item from NYSERDA

The post Construction starts on New York’s 924-MW Sunrise Wind offshore project appeared first on Windpower Engineering & Development.