Overview
- U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols granted a preliminary injunction allowing Equinor’s Empire Wind project to proceed during review of the government’s suspension.
- Nichols criticized the administration for not responding to core procedural points in Empire Wind’s filings challenging the pause.
- Equinor says Empire Wind is about 60% complete, built to power more than 500,000 homes, and at risk of cascading delays due to limited availability of specialized heavy‑lift vessels.
- The decision follows a separate court order letting Ørsted’s nearly finished Revolution Wind resume, while Sunrise Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, and Vineyard Wind remain paused pending further action.
- Interior halted five East Coast leases on Dec. 22 citing classified Defense Department findings about radar and security risks, a rationale now facing multiple legal challenges from developers and states.