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New York Sues to Lift Federal Freeze on Offshore Wind as Equinor Warns of Jan. 16 Cutoff

The state’s filings contest Interior’s security rationale, citing risks to billions in investment, union jobs, and grid reliability.

Overview

  • Attorney General Letitia James filed two lawsuits in Washington to overturn the Dec. 22 order halting Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind, calling the suspension arbitrary and unlawful.
  • Equinor told the court Empire Wind is likely to be terminated if construction does not restart by Jan. 16 and seeks a preliminary injunction, with a hearing expected next week.
  • Ørsted and the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island are pursuing court orders to keep Revolution Wind moving, after a previous federal injunction allowed that project to proceed.
  • The Interior Department says turbines create radar “clutter” that complicates threat detection, while developers and experts argue mitigation technologies exist and projects were vetted with the military.
  • Five East Coast projects representing roughly $25 billion and about 7 GW are paused, with New York leaders and unions warning of job losses, sunk costs, and disruptions to near‑term power plans.