Overview

• Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has ordered an indefinite halt to construction on the Empire Wind project, citing deficiencies in the approval process under the Biden administration.
• The Empire Wind project, led by Norwegian company Equinor, involves 54 turbines located 12 nautical miles off Long Island and was intended to power 500,000 New York homes by 2027.
• The Department of the Interior is expanding its review of all existing and pending Biden-era offshore wind permits to reassess environmental and procedural compliance.
• Critics of the project, including fishing and wildlife groups, claim it threatens marine habitats, endangered species, and coastal industries, while New York officials argue the halt jeopardizes clean energy goals and union jobs.
• Governor Kathy Hochul has condemned the federal decision as overreach and pledged to challenge it, emphasizing the project's importance to New York's green energy agenda.