Equinor asks judge to lift Trump administration pause on 60%-complete Empire Wind project
Equinor urges judge to suspend a Trump administration order halting Empire Wind construction, warning project cancellation without swift resumption amid vessel and severe financial constraints.
Overview
Who & what: Equinor, developer of Empire Wind, seeks court relief to lift a Trump administration pause that halted construction of a 60%-complete offshore wind farm serving over 500,000 homes.
When & where: The hearing was before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols in Washington; Equinor warned construction must resume by mid-January or face cascading delays and potential cancellation.
Why: The administration cited national security concerns without publicly detailing specifics; developers and some experts say projects underwent lengthy reviews involving Defense Department input.
How: Equinor says specialized heavy-lift vessel Sleipnir must install a 3,000-ton topside before Feb. 1, and limited global installation capacity compounds schedule and financial risks.
Legal context: This is one of three recent court challenges to the administration's pause of five East Coast projects; judges have already allowed at least one to resume.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources collectively frame the story as a legally contested policy move that threatens renewable projects and jobs, using critical language and emphasis on developer losses, judicial setbacks, and global renewable growth. They prioritize developers’ technical/economic claims and highlight the administration’s vague security rationale, signaling skepticism toward the pause.
Sources (10)
FAQ
Empire Wind is an offshore wind farm developed by Equinor, over 60% complete, designed to generate electricity for approximately 500,000 homes in New York under contract with NYSERDA.
The Trump administration paused the project citing national security concerns, without publicly detailing specifics, despite prior lengthy reviews involving Defense Department input.
Equinor warns that construction must resume by mid-January to avoid cascading delays and potential cancellation, due to the need for a specialized heavy-lift vessel Sleipnir before February 1 and severe financial constraints.
Equinor filed a lawsuit on January 2, 2026, in U.S. District Court seeking a preliminary injunction; a hearing is before Judge Carl J. Nichols. This is one of multiple challenges, including by New York AG and Revolution Wind.
Equinor has invested over $4 billion, with $2.7 billion drawn under project financing, and the project has a gross book value of about $3.1 billion as of September 30, 2025.
History
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